there are many good reasons why a parenting plan may need to be changed. and as each of the parents moves on with his or her separate life, new partners, new jobs, or new homes can all mean that the parenting plan needs to be changed. but if the parents cannot agree on the changes, 1 of the parents must file papers with the court asking for a change (a “modification”) of your current child custody and visitation order. if you want to change your order, you and the other parent will probably have to meet with a mediator to talk about why you want the order to change before you go to the court hearing. your court may want you to go again or may tell you that you do not need to. you may be able to resolve your custody and visitation issues in mediation with the help of a trained mediator.

determining child custody can be very stressful process. reviewing the forms ahead of time can ease the stress as you will be better able to answer the court’s and your attorney’s questions. below you will find links to forms related to child custody and visitation in each state — including information on parenting plans and agreements where available. you may also find what you’re looking for on our state-specific family law pages. every state has different child custody forms. from california to texas, utah to new york, knowing what forms are available will help make the child custody process a lot more manageable. a great way to get a handle on child custody law is to contact a family law attorney near you with experience handling custody cases. meeting with a lawyer can help you understand your options and how to best protect your rights. visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help.