Holidays and parenting plans

by | Dec 29, 2015 | Child Custody, Firm News |

When California parents are going through a divorce, one of the things they will need to address is how they will handle holiday parenting time. Holiday scheduling can be an issue because most parents will want their child on the exact same days. There are a few different ways to handle this situation that can often be implemented.

It is important for parents to keep in mind that, if they want to negotiate a parenting plan that will work for both parents, they will need to be able to act reasonably. Planning holiday time should be approached by the parents with the idea that the arrangement should be in the child’s best interests rather than their own.

Some parents choose to alternate holidays. With this type of plan, the parents switch off years to have the child for a particular holiday. When parents live near one another and are able to communicate reasonably well, they may instead want to split the holiday time. With split holidays, each parent has the child for a specified length of time on the holiday so that the child can spend time with both.

Child custody cases are often highly emotional, but they do not have to be filled with conflict. If parents can try to view the matter with the idea that their child’s best interests are what is the most important, they may be able to work out a parenting arrangement that will benefit themselves and their child. When child custody decisions are left up to the court to decide, a parent may be left unhappy with what the judge orders. Having the assistance of a family law attorney when negotiating a parenting plan may help to alleviate conflict in the long term.