There are some common do’s and don’ts when it comes to the summer months and child custody. Some parents find that this time of year is difficult, since children no longer attend school and may have extracurricular activities throughout the summer. Vacations and holidays can be a cause for concern and may cause conflicts as well.
What can you do to make the summer easier on both parties and your child? Here are a few tips to follow.
First, remember to plan any vacations in advance. For both parents, it’s easier to know what’s happening if you can both talk to one another and make plans around each other’s arrangements.
Communication is key. You may not want to talk to the other parent or you may want to avoid communicating as much as possible, but even then, mediation is an option. You must talk to the other parent about your vacation plans and any summer activities you want to participate in with your child. These summer-only changes may impact normal visitation and custody arrangements, so you both need to be on the same page.
There is bound to be an impact on your child when his normal school routine is interrupted. Summer plans may be different than those during the school year, but you can make these changes as simple as possible. Try to keep changes minimal if you can, and if not, explain to your child why the changes are taking place and when his or her schedule will go back to the way it has been during the school year.
Source: FindLaw, “Child Custody Over the Summer: Dos and Don’ts,” Betty Wang, accessed June 02, 2016