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After the decree

4 min read

Changing a parenting plan after the judgment

Children grow and lives change. Here is how to update a plan without starting over.

Ben Lindqvist, associate, in a navy sweater

Ben Lindqvist

A child's backpack, a ball and a plant by a sunny wall

A plan written for a four-year-old rarely fits a fourteen-year-old. Updating it is normal and usually straightforward.

If you both agree

Write down the new arrangement and file it with the court so it becomes the new order. We can draft it for you.

If you do not agree

The court can change the plan if circumstances have changed and the change is in the child’s best interests.

Until then

Keep following the current plan. Informal changes are fine day to day, but only the filed order can be enforced.

This guide is general information about family law in Oregon and Washington. It is not legal advice for your situation, and reading it does not make us your lawyers. Laws differ by state and change over time.

Key points

Agreed changes can be filed without a hearing

Disputed changes need a change in circumstances

Keep following the current plan until it is changed

Related service

Modifications & enforcement

Talk it through, privately.

A free 20-minute call with a family lawyer. You choose how we contact you, and nothing you say commits you to anything.

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