As the holiday season approaches, it can be a challenging time for you as a divorcee and your children. Not only do your children feel conflicted about spending time with the other parent, but you may also be dealing with a host of emotions surrounding the reality of spending the holiday without your children. However, knowing how to decide on child custody during the holidays is essential to ensuring your children can enjoy the season. If you are struggling to agree, continue reading to learn how a Nassau County child custody lawyer can help you and your family.
Why Is Deciding Child Custody Early Important?
Though you may put off deciding who gets custody on what holidays until they are approaching, deciding on custody well in advance is essential for you, your ex, and your children. Ensuring you can make the holidays as seamless as possible for your little ones is the most essential aspect, as they should be shielded from the harsh realities of divorce and enjoy the magic of the holidays.
During the divorce process, deciding who gets the children during the holidays is essential. Not only does this establish clear custody in your legal agreement, but it also ensures your children are informed about who they will be spending specific holidays with. However, you will need to anticipate compromising, as both you and your ex-spouse will likely want custody during high-value holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
What Are Common Arrangements?
There are various options when deciding how you and your ex-spouse will split the holidays.
The most common arrangement is that each spouse will get several fixed holidays. This means every year, the children will spend the same holiday with the same parent. For example, Parent A will have Christmas Eve, while Parent B will have custody on Christmas Day.
Another option that works well for many families, especially those in the same or neighboring towns, is to split the holiday. This assures the children spend time with both parents on the actual holiday. However, this may not work as well for families that live far, as much of your children’s holiday could be spent in the car.
Finally, one of the less common options is to alternate holidays every year. This schedule can be confusing and hard to plan, as your dates can easily get mixed up. For example, one year, Parent A will have New Year’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas, while Parent B has custody on New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve. The following year, they would swap holidays.
What Happens if My Ex-Spouse Refuses to Follow the Agreement?
If the holidays roll around and your ex-spouse is not cooperating with the planned child custody agreement, you will want to contact your lawyer as soon as possible. In the meantime, you will want to remain as calm as possible and avoid taking retaliatory action against your ex.
If your ex-spouse violates your child custody agreement, do not wait to reach out to Barrows Levy PLLC. Our team of experienced custody attorneys will fight to get you the time with your children you deserve.
