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Making a child custody hearing more convenient

Parents in California or any other state who get divorced generally have the ability to retain a relationship with their children. In most cases, a judge will determine who has custody of the child as well as the rights of the noncustodial parent. However, it is possible that a child custody hearing will be scheduled at an inconvenient time or in an inconvenient location. Fortunately, parents may be able to appear at a hearing by phone or by video.

It is also possible for an individual to request that the time or date of the hearing be changed to better accommodate his or her schedule. Rarely, a court will agree to change the venue of the hearing to make it easier for a mother or father to appear. A court will consider a number of factors when determining whether to make changes to the time, date or location of a custody hearing.

For instance, if a parent has moved, it may be necessary to change the date of the hearing to account for travel time. A hearing may also be postponed if an individual has to work or has another scheduling conflict. Those who ask to have a hearing date changed will likely need to show evidence that they have moved or couldn’t miss work.

Those who are seeking additional parenting time or other rights may want to speak with an attorney. An attorney may be able to help a parent gather or present evidence that having expanded rights would be in the best interest of the child. In some cases, the parents themselves can agree on changes to a custody or visitation agreement. However, those changes may need to be approved by a judge before they are considered binding on all parties.

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