It’s normal for grades to fluctuate somewhat, depending on the age of your child, his or her prior academic performance, and a number of other factors.
Often, when parents are divorcing, a child’s grades may suffer for a short period of time due to the stress of the situation, only to rebound when life becomes normal again.
If you want to get custody of your children, you will have to file for a modification to the custody order. In order to get your custody order modified, you must show there has been a change in the situation since the order was issued.
If your child’s grades have dropped, that may or may not be sufficient for a change in custody. The issue will probably depend on what your child’s teachers say, and how the grades have been in the past.
If a child who is known for straight A’s suddenly brings home D’s and F’s, there’s definitely a cause for concern, and the underlying issues about why the grades have dropped could end up resulting in a change in custody.
It would be in the best interests of your child to get to the bottom of the problem, and then to come up with a solution, which could be a change in the living situation or maybe something else.
If you discover your child’s grades are so low because he can’t sleep at night because his mother and her new boyfriend are partying all night, this is definitely a situation where you may ask for a modification in the custody arrangement.
If your child has an undiagnosed learning disability, the child may just need extra academic help and may not need a change in the living arrangements.
It would be best to talk through the situation with an attorney. An experienced divorce attorney can help you analyze the situation and can suggest some ideas.