You spent time and energy creating a parenting plan you could both live with — one that felt fair, predictable and clear. But now, your ex is constantly late, refusing to stick to the schedule or ignoring important boundaries you both agreed on, and it is starting to take a toll.
When one parent stops taking the plan seriously, what are you supposed to do?
Start by keeping track of what’s happening
You do not need to take action after just one slip-up. But if it keeps happening or if it is turning into a pattern, you will want more than just your memory to lean on. Start writing things down: the dates, the times and exactly what happened, whether they missed a pickup, kept the kids longer than agreed or did not show up at all. The more consistent your notes, the easier it is to show the court that the problem is not occasional — it’s ongoing.
Indiana courts do have ways to enforce your plan
When talking things through hasn’t worked, and the other parent keeps doing what they want, you can ask the court to step in. Under Indiana law, parenting time orders are legally binding, and if one parent repeatedly violates them, you can file a contempt motion.
That filing tells the judge that your ex is not following the plan the court approved, and if the judge agrees, they can step in. That could mean makeup time, maybe a fine or — if things keep slipping — a full change to the plan itself.
And if the violations do not stop, the court can go a step further and modify custody or parenting time altogether. It is not about nitpicking every small mistake; it is about making sure your child’s routine holds steady and that the plan actually works the way it is supposed to.
Still, not every situation needs to go straight to court
Sometimes, a short message or a shared calendar reminder is all it takes to smooth things over. When things are written down and time-stamped, it is easier to clear up misunderstandings and hold both sides accountable. But if communication starts feeling like a dead end, or worse, like another place where boundaries are being crossed, it may be time to stop trying to fix it on your own.
You don’t have to keep waiting for it to get better
If you are starting to feel like the only one following the plan, you are not overreacting — you are recognizing that something needs to change. The court gave your parenting plan legal weight for a reason, so if your ex won’t follow it, you are well within your rights to take steps toward stability — not just for you, but for your child, too.