Spending Time with Your Children
If passing on cultural and religious traditions through the observance of religious holidays is important to your family, working out an agreement that covers all important occasions is well worth the effort. Determining visitation schedules can be tricky, as both parents want to spend time with their children. Co-parents have many considerations to keep in mind when making a custody arrangement, including holidays.
Holidays, both national and religious, can often be a sticking point for parents working out a schedule. How can co-parents go about creating a schedule that works for both of them?
Kutty Law Firm, PLLC is happy to work with you to customize your holidays such as Divali, Kwanza, Ramadan, and Passover into your visitation schedule.
Working Holidays Into The Agreement
One key method to avoid a future headache is to work holidays into the possession and access schedule during the mediation process. Co-parents should make a list of holidays that will occur, including any religious holidays or national holidays that either parent celebrates. Any additional occasions such as birthdays and family occasions can also be added to this list.
After co-parents create a list of holidays, it is important to split those holidays up between them to be as even as possible or to alternate in even and odd years. It is more important to do what is in the best interest of the children. Co-parents should also define the start and stop times of each holiday.
Creative Solutions to Holidays
Another potential solution to holidays is to split the children’s time between parents on the actual holiday itself. Children could spend part of a holiday with one parent for the first half of the day before the other parent picks them up to celebrate for the rest of the day.
Co-parents could also extend the holiday to be celebrated over multiple days and then split that time between them. For example, co-parents could schedule Christmas celebrations from December 21st-25th. One parent could celebrate with the children from the 21st to the 23rd, and the other parent would then have the children on the 24th and 25th.
Co-parents could also alternate holidays from year to year. If one parent has custody of the children on a holiday, then it would be fair to let the children spend the holiday with the other parent the next year.
Work with an Attorney Who Understands Religious Holiday Intricacies
If you have a custody issue or are trying to work out a custody arrangement with your soon-to-be ex-spouse, having an attorney by your side can be a great help. Kutty Law Firm, PLLC has helped clients create parenting plans, including those involving holiday distribution, and works to fight for the rights of parents.
Call (713) 955-7477 or visit us online to schedule a consultation with a member of our team.