Child Custody Agreements for the Holidays
As the year comes to an end, families begin to prepare their plans for the upcoming holiday festivities and social gatherings. For many divorced parents, the holiday season can sometimes lead to a fight about their child custody agreement. Sometimes one parent will want custody for a family event that the other spouse might not what their child to attend. Other times logistical obstacles can create unwanted conflict between ex-spouses. The last thing you want is more stress for your family during the holidays. To avoid such conflicts, divorced parents should create a holiday/winter break custody agreement to define the parameters of each parent’s responsibilities and expectations.
Create a Holiday Schedule
Discuss your plans with your ex-spouse and make a holiday schedule of events that you each plan to attend. Doing this can help ensure that everyone is aware of who will be where throughout the holiday season or winter break. After you decide your schedule, be sure to have your ex-spouse sign off on it.
Communicate with Your Ex
Always do your best to stick to the schedule you’ve arranged. However, if any changes to the schedule should arise, be sure that you inform your ex. If you can, give adequate notice of any scheduling changes you think might occur. This can help to keep one spouse from feeling overwhelmed when they are suddenly left with more responsibilities. Always notify your ex of any vacation plans, winter activities, or any other general “winter-only” changes that might need to be made to your custody agreement.
Keep Up With Your Child Support Payments
While you might find yourself spending more time with your child than your spouse, this does not mean you’re suddenly entitled to skip out on your child support payments. You can request child support modification if you feel your new arrangement is unfair.
Are you having difficulty with child custody arrangements for the holidays? We can help. Our team can walk you through your custody agreement and ensure that it fits your needs and situation.
Contact our Bergen County divorce attorneys or call (888) 224-1218 to begin your free consultation today.