During the holiday season, life can be stressful and hectic. To reduce stress and issues with miscommunication, parents must have a parenting plan that explicitly addresses the visitation during the holidays in writing. Even if you are on amicable terms now and believe you can trust your ex to stick to a verbal agreement, your co-parenting relationship might not always be so harmonious. Protect your parental rights by going through the proper legal channels and putting your holiday visitation schedule in writing.
When Your Ex Fails to Show Up at the Exchange Point
If your former spouse does not return the children to you on time or regularly drops them off late during your time with them over the holidays, it can make it difficult for you to maintain a normal schedule with your kids and create an unpredictable and stressful environment for them. If you have a visitation schedule in writing, you can take legal action to ensure it is upheld. However, if your parenting plan lacks a detailed visitation schedule for the holidays, you might run into a few snags when you take your case to court.
Creating an Effective Holiday Visitation Schedule
Every state requires a custody or visitation schedule, which must also include how the children will spend the holidays. Unfortunately, if your holiday visitation schedule uses vague language, it can lead to some serious misunderstandings that can spiral out of control during an already overwhelming time of year.
Here are some tips to help you create a more effective holiday visitation schedule:
- Be specific about when holiday visitations begin and end. For example, if your ex has the children on Christmas Eve and you have them on Christmas Day, specify what time your visitation begins to ensure there are no misunderstandings.
- Clarify which parent transports the children and where exchange points are.
- Make sure visitations with the children are age-appropriate and in line with the current custody schedule so the children are not thrown into custody stretches that are longer than usual or more than your children can handle.
- Try to preserve certain familial traditions. For example, if your children always spent a particular holiday with your former spouse’s extended family, do your best to reasonably uphold it.
Most importantly, observe how your children adjust to the new holiday visitation schedule and, as they get older, be prepared to revise it when it no longer meets their emotional needs.
Discuss Your Case with a Child Custody Attorney Today!
If your holiday visitation schedule is ineffective or vague, you need to reach out to the team at Family Law Partners for the experienced and knowledgeable assistance you need to craft a visitation schedule that leaves no room for ambiguity or misunderstandings. Our attorneys have more than 45 years of collective legal experience, so you can feel confident in our ability to provide you with the guidance and advice you need to navigate this situation. The holiday season is here, so do not postpone this any longer!
Contact our law office today at (636) 742-1418">(636) 742-1418 to set up a free consultation with a knowledgeable child custody attorney.