When spouses with children get divorced, they need to draw up parenting plans as part of their child custody agreements. A parenting plan is basically a guide for how the soon-to-be ex-spouses will co-parent. It outlines specific terms, such as when the child will be with each parent and for how long. It is important that parents include holiday schedules in the parenting plan, which determines where the child will be with for each holiday.
Some of the common holidays that are worked out in these types of agreements include Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Hanukkah, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Independence Day and Thanksgiving, In addition to the major holidays, there may also be other religious holidays, birthdays or important family occasions that divorcing spouses will want to set schedules for. School breaks are also another important are to consider. Here are some of the many types of details that should be worked out in a holiday schedule:
- Which parent will have the child for the specific holiday
- How long the parent will have the child
- At what time the child will be dropped off and picked up
- Who will be responsible for transporting the child
- Whether the parents will alternate the holidays they get with the child each year
Even when ex-spouses have amicable relationships, holiday parenting time can become a very sticky situation when the parents cannot agree. This is why it is so important to work out a detailed plan in advance. You do not want to ruin the holidays for your child with bitter arguments that could have been avoided! If you need help drawing up holiday schedules or other parts of your parenting plan, our firm can provide you with the legal guidance you need. At Kevin B. Gibbs, APLC, we have an Orange County divorce lawyer who fully understands the dynamics of child custody agreements. Contact our firm today!