Parenting Time During The COVID-19 Pandemic
The Indiana Supreme Court has issued a Court Order regarding parenting time and child support, and you will find the Order below. Here are the things that you should know:
1. During the Covid 19 pandemic, existing Court Orders regarding custody and parenting time shall remain in full force and effect.
2. If all parties agree that parenting time should be temporarily modified during the pandemic, they are free to enter into this agreement and it need not be in writing.
3. If there is a temporary agreement, I strongly suggest that it be reduced to writing and filed with the Court, otherwise, it will not be an Order that the Court can enforce.
4. If one party believes that a temporary modification of parenting time or custody needs to be made during the pandemic, and the other party does not agree, an emergency petition may be filed.
5. If you make your child support payments in county offices, these offices may be closed or not accepting payments in person. However, you can still make your payments through the Child Support Bureau website.
6. If you are unable to make full child support payments, you may file an emergency petition to modify your child support.
7. Although you may not get a quick court date, a child support modification that is granted will likely be made retroactive to the date on which you filed your petition.
