California parents who are facing the end of their marriage may want the best for their children but still find themselves embroiled in some common custody issues. When the process has become contentious, they may have trouble negotiating and sticking to custody, support and visitation agreements. If one or both parents repeatedly violates the terms of the parenting agreement, it may be necessary to use legal sanctions as enforcement.
Parents who fail to meet their visitation obligations as scheduled might also face sanctions such as fines. However, these failures are also upsetting for the child. It is important to turn up for visitation as scheduled. Parents who are not able to meet the terms of their arrangement need to work with an attorney to make new arrangements.
Parental alienation happens when one parents sets out to deliberately hurt the child’s relationship with the other parent. The parent may prevent the child from seeing the other parent or speaking to them on the phone. Often, a parent’s only recourse is to return to court. The parent should bring documentation of the missed visits to court as evidence.
In court, a judge attempts to make decisions that are in the best interests of the child. Parents should also strive for this, but it may be difficult to make decisions in an emotionally difficult time. By sitting down and discussing their aims with their respective attorneys, they may be able to create a strategy that stays focused on their priorities. It is often considered best for a child to have contact with both parents although there may be circumstances such as abuse or addiction in which a parent may want to prevent this.