Not all relationships and marriages end on good terms. Former couples may continue to have disagreements with each other even after their relationship has ended. The hostilities may be particularly elevated if kids are involved. This may especially be the case if one parent tries to prevent the other from gaining access to their children.
Any parent that prevents the other from seeing their children may be accused of custody interference. A mom or dad that attempts to withhold child support payments in hopes of gaining more visitation with their kids may also be accused of this same offense.
There are some serious legal consequences associated with parents engaging in custody interference here in Washington state. A mom or dad who does this may have their wages garnished or driver’s license suspended. Any parent who engages in such activities may also have their visitation or custody rights restricted by a Federal Way judge.
Your time as a couple might be over, but your role as parents will continue at least until your child is 18 years old. It’s in both your and your child’s best interests for you to have an amicable relationship with your ex.
You may be able to enjoy just as much time with your child as they spend with their other parent if you’re awarded joint physical custody of them. You may find that you’re unable to make school, health care and religious decisions on your child’s behalf unless you share joint legal custody of them though.
Making unilateral decisions without consulting with the parent that you share joint legal custody with can potentially jeopardize your custodial rights.
One of the best things that parents who are having difficulty abiding by parenting agreements can do is to try to talk through their concerns instead of getting the court involved. It can also be of great benefit to bring an attorney into the mix to help mediate these discussions. Your Federal Way lawyer may be the key that helps you resolve your differences before your Washington case escalates into a full-blown courtroom battle.