Child Custody: ‘Tis the Season to Prepare for Holiday Arrangements

As some families start looking ahead to holiday vacations, others are already dreading the custody decisions that can bring a black cloud to a white Christmas. To help prepare for the inevitable seasonal split from your child so they can spend time with their other parent, it’s best to determine your holiday schedule in advance rather than at the last minute. By doing this, you can avoid any unnecessary stress for all family members affected by the arrangements.

“Once the court decides on the day-to-day access arrangements, parents can work out a schedule for the holidays so that the child will have equal time with both parents when they are away from school. We encourage our clients to keep this in mind so we can make arrangements in advance for the holidays they would like to spend with their child,” said Norman Green, Senior Partner at Green & Metcalf of Vero Beach, FL.

A few suggestions for holiday child custody arrangements include determining your schedule in advance, not trying to match any holiday plans your ex may have made and letting your child have a say in holiday plans and arrangements that affect them. Once arrangements and plans have been made and agreed upon, both parents can begin to focus on the time they will spend with their child and the memories they will be creating.

“When parents are able to come to an agreement on holiday arrangements, it serves to underscore and reinforce the child’s importance – to the degree that both parents want to spend time with them at the most family-centric days of the year,” Green said.

Norman A. Green is the founder and a partner of Green & Metcalf - Attorneys At Law. He has over 40 years of experience in the practice fields of criminal defense and family law (divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, modifications of existing orders, prenuptial agreements and alimony cases).