Can You Change a Parenting Schedule After a Massachusetts Divorce?
A parenting schedule that worked when a divorce was finalized may not continue to work several years—or even several months—later. Children get older, school schedules change, parents change jobs, families move, and transportation or childcare arrangements may become more complicated. In other cases, one parent may repeatedly fail to follow the existing schedule or a child’s needs may have changed significantly. In Massachusetts, parenting arrangements established in a divorce judgment can potentially be modified. However, a parent generally cannot simply decide to change a court-ordered parenting schedule. When parents cannot agree, the parent seeking a modification must ask the Probate and Family Court to change the existing order and demonstrate that the legal requirements for modification have been satisfied. Understanding when a parenting schedule can be changed—and how to request that change—can help parents address changing family circumstances while keeping the focus on the best interests of their children. Are Parenting Schedules Permanent After a Massachusetts Divorce? A final divorce judgment establishes the parties’ parenting rights and responsibilities, but parenting arrangements involving minor children are not necessarily permanent. Massachusetts courts recognize that children’s and parents’ circumstances can change. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 208, Section 28, the Probate and Family Court has authority to revise or alter judgments concerning the care and custody of minor children when appropriate. This differs from certain financial provisions of a divorce judgment, such as a final division of marital property, which generally cannot simply be revisited because circumstances later change. The ability to modify