Legal Question in Family Law in Washington

How do I change a parenting plan?

My son is 15 yrs old, and wants to have the right to decide if he wants to go to his dads or not, on sceduled visits. How do I get the parenting plan changed? Does this cost anything? We live in Washington state. Also, I get $272.50 a month for child support. (set 8 years ago). He was only 7 years old at the time. Is it possible to get that amount higher? How do I go about that?


Asked on 5/10/08, 1:20 pm

3 Answers from Attorneys

Christopher Steuart IT Forensics, Inc.

Re: How do I change a parenting plan?

The court is not going to turn the responsibility for deciding whether to spend residential time with the other parent over to a child. On the child support matter, you can file a motion for modification.

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Answered on 5/10/08, 8:00 pm
Christopher Steuart IT Forensics, Inc.

Re: How do I change a parenting plan?

The court is not going to turn the responsibility for deciding whether to spend residential time with the other parent over to a child. On the child support matter, you can file a motion for support adjustment.

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Answered on 5/10/08, 8:00 pm
Amir John Showrai The Pacific Law Firm, PLLC

Re: How do I change a parenting plan?

While the court cannot grant your son the power to decide, I've been involved in a lot of cases where the teenager defacto told the parents what to do.

You can have a Parenting Plan that is very loosely worded, which I generally dislike and advise against, since it can come around to bite you when you least expect it.

That said, you can adjust child support, and even if no one's incomes changed, when your son turned 12, you would have automatically been entitled to more support. It's too late for the years that have passed, but not too late for the remaining years to seek a modification of support.

As for your last question about "how to go about it," well that is just beyond the scope of what we can do here. If you can afford an attorney, I suggest you hire one. If you cannot afford one, I suggest that you get in touch with your local county bar association and ask them if they can refer you to someone who either provides discounted services or will take your case on "pro bono" meaning free of legal fees.

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Answered on 5/10/08, 9:37 pm


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