What Should You Do If the Other Parent Is Not Exercising Their Parenting Time?

When a parent fails to show up for their scheduled parenting time, the emotional fallout often lands hardest on the children. Missed visits can create confusion, insecurity, and disappointment—especially when the parent doesn’t call or offer any explanation. In Georgia, these situations can be both frustrating and complex, and many parents are left wondering what legal remedies, if any, are available.

You Can’t Force Parenting Time in Georgia

Under Georgia law, a court cannot compel a parent to spend time with their children. Parenting time is a right, not an obligation. So if the other parent is not exercising their time as outlined in your custody order, there is no legal mechanism to force them to do so.

While this may seem unjust—especially when children are emotionally affected—Georgia courts prioritize voluntary and healthy parent-child relationships. Judges are unlikely to support an “all or nothing” approach, where one parent requests to terminate the other’s access entirely due to inconsistency.

The Emotional Toll on Children

Inconsistent parenting can be deeply destabilizing, particularly for adolescents and teens. Sporadic visits or complete silence from one parent may lead to:

• Feelings of rejection or abandonment

• Anxiety or depression

• Difficulty trusting others or forming relationships

• Conflict with the parent who is consistently present

This is not just a co-parenting inconvenience—it’s a mental health concern. In many cases, therapy can provide a safe space for children to process their emotions and rebuild their sense of security.

If you’re dealing with this type of family strain, our child custody services can help you evaluate your legal options and explore ways to modify your current parenting plan.

Practical Solutions Through the Parenting Plan

Although you can’t make someone parent, you can modify the parenting plan to minimize unpredictability and reduce the emotional impact on your children. Courts in Georgia may allow the following modifications:

• Notice requirements: You can request that the non-custodial parent be required to give advance notice—such as 48 or 72 hours—before exercising parenting time. Failure to provide notice results in forfeiture of that visitation period.

• Therapy provisions: If a parent’s inconsistent presence is harming the children, courts may order that parent to pay for therapy to address the resulting emotional stress.

• Structured visitation plans: Rather than open-ended or flexible schedules, a more detailed and enforceable plan may reduce ambiguity and help the children feel more secure.

Keep in mind that any requested changes must serve the best interests of the child and be presented with supporting evidence.

How Courts View These Situations

Georgia judges understand that broken promises and missed visits can have long-term effects on a child’s well-being. However, their ability to intervene is limited unless the situation involves legal violations or endangers the child’s health or safety.

That said, courts are more likely to respond favorably to well-reasoned requests that aim to protect the child emotionally—especially when supported by documentation, such as therapy recommendations or patterns of behavior.

Support Your Child While Navigating the Unknown

When the other parent stops showing up, your role becomes even more critical. While you can’t control their behavior, you can:

• Be honest but age-appropriate in your explanations to your children.

• Encourage open dialogue and emotional expression.

• Get professional support when needed.

• Seek legal guidance to adjust your custody arrangements accordingly.

Parenting through this kind of uncertainty is never easy. But you don’t have to navigate it alone.

Schedule a discovery call to learn how we can support you.