While the holidays are a time to celebrate with loved ones, it can be difficult for those involved in child custody court orders. It is easy for miscommunication to occur and scheduling conflicts between both parents.
In order to avoid these mishaps, you can make a holiday schedule with the other parent to show where your kid will spend the holidays and special occasions. It is important to understand that this schedule has priority over the residential schedule.
The following are common ways parents divide and share holiday time:
- Alternate holidays every other year. You can assign holidays to one parent for the even years, then swap during the holidays in the odd years, or vice versa.
- Schedule the holiday twice. Schedule time for each parent to spend the holiday with the child. For example, one parent can celebrate Christmas with the child on December 21st, and the other parent on December 25th.
- Split the holiday in half. Split the day up, so that the child can spend part of the day with each parent. However, this type of arrangement requires careful planning since you don’t want the child to travel all day.
- Assign fixed holidays. Each parent is designated a specific holiday with their child every year. For example, one parent has the child for Thanksgivings, while the other has the child for Christmases.
- Combine. You can use any combination of these suggestions to divide and share holiday time that allows the child to spend quality time with both parents and enjoy family traditions.
If you are interested in filing for divorce in Jackson, Memphis, or Clarksville, TN, contact Casey, Simmons & Bryant, PLLC today.