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Easy Guide to Completing Paperwork File With Clerk

Easy Guide to Completing Paperwork File With Clerk Anytime a parent wishes to file for a change in visitation arrangements, their will be legal visitation forms that must be filled out. The process of changing a visitation schedule can be difficult, and knowing ahead of time which visitation forms must be completed and filed with the county clerk, in a family court will make the process quicker and easier. Changing a visitation schedule is not to be done without the courts permission. There are legal steps that must be taken before a court will be willing to recognize the new visitation schedule as valid.

Visitation schedules can be changed and many times they should be, especially as a child grows older. A visitation schedule that worked well for a toddler may not work well for a teenager. Courts prefer that parents agree on visitation schedules and working it out on their own is usually in everyone's best interest. However, whether or not the ex-spouses can come to their own agreement about the visitation schedule change, there will still be at least one visitation form or petition to fill out. A verbal agreement or even a homemade contract that is not filed through the court, cannot be recognized as valid. Sometimes, the only visitation form that is necessary to fill out, is a petition to change the visitation schedule. This is known as filing a motion. 


A visitation form or petition can be written up by the parent who is requesting the visitation schedule change. If a couple wants to change their visitation schedule while they are still in the process of divorce, filing a motion to change the proposed divorce degree may be necessary besides filing a petition to change the visitation schedule. The written visitation forms should include information such as the names and ages of the children, the reasons for the request in visitation change and the positive effects that the parent feels the changes would have on the child. The visitation form petition should not be a tirade against one's ex-spouse, since a visitation form that is written in that manner will not be given as much merit as a factual and positive one. 


These visitation forms must be filed with the county clerk at one's local family court. A court date cannot be scheduled until the visitation form is filed. If a new visitation schedule agreement has not been reached between the parents, then one parent has the right to file their visitation form or petition on their own. However, the other parent does have a right to know that the visitation schedule is being challenged, since they have a right to oppose it in court. Because of this, they need to be officially served with a notice that visitation forms have been filed on behalf of the other parent. The visitation forms that are served will include the court date and time, so that the parent knows when to show up to court.


Whether or not the parents have an amicable relationship, any visitation change requests must be filed in their local family court. Visitation forms must be on record to be valid. If these visitation forms are not legally on file, then they can't be recognized and the new agreement will not be valid or legal.

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