With summer approaching, you may be planning a family vacation with your children. If you share custody of your children, you will need to plan your summer vacation around your custody schedule. You may also need to notify your ex. Make sure you know the steps you need to take so your children can have the best possible summer vacation. Our Montgomery County child custody attorneys at Shemtob Draganosky Taylor Stein, PC share how you can prepare for the best summer while sharing custody of your children.
Review Your Custody Agreement First
Before you begin making plans for this summer with your children, you should consult your child custody agreement or Order to make sure you are scheduling vacation accordingly. Reviewing your agreement or Order can help you better understand the time available with your children and your options for a summer vacation. You may have a summer schedule change to reflect parents’ work schedules or accommodate your child’s time at sleep-away camp. You may have limitations as to when you can begin or end your vacation time. You may have to give notice to the other parent in advance. Your attorney can help you review these documents before you make summer plans.
Finding a Custody Issue
After you get a better understanding of your custody agreement, you may discover that your vacation plans conflict with the terms of your agreement or Order. The best first step is usually to tell the other parent and see if they will accommodate the change. If you are unable to resolve this issue in an effective manner, you should inform your attorney about the issue and they can help you resolve it through alternative dispute resolution, negotiation, or litigation. It’s important to plan in advance and contact counsel early because resolving custody issues through the legal system can take time and may not be resolved immediately.
Tips for Successful Co-Parenting
When co-parenting this summer, you may face more time with your children, as they are not in school and may not be participating in extracurricular activities.
Plan Your Child’s Activities Together
Before enrolling your children in day camp or selecting an activity they may like to participate in, you should discuss your plans for summertime entertainment with their other parent. Together, you can discuss how you would like to approach activities that may overlap in your parenting schedule and if they would also like to enroll your children in extracurricular activities.
You both can plan fun activities for your child’s summer, such as enrolling them in summer camp, taking lessons for a musical instrument or sport, spending time at the pool or park, or planning family vacations. If your child has extracurricular activities they enjoy, they may wish to spend more time this summer pursuing those activities and honing their skills. If parents can plan together, it allows children to have a more continuous summer experience.
Discuss Any Vacations Ahead of Time
If you are planning on taking your child on a vacation this summer, you should make sure to discuss these plans with their other parent. You can discuss when these vacations will take place, where the vacation will be, if this impacts your custody schedule and how your custody agreement or Order affects your plans. This is your time to discuss any concerns you may have regarding vacations this summer and plan a vacation that follows your custody agreement and makes both parties happy.
Consider Your Child’s Other Obligations
Your teenager may already have a year-round job where they may continue to work this summer and wish to increase their hours or stay part-time. They may also plan on participating in high school athletics or the marching band, which are large time commitments and may require you to schedule vacations or other plans around required try-outs or practices. When planning activities for the family, make sure to consider that your teenager may already have plans or mandatory activities they may need to attend to continue their employment or extracurriculars. These activities should not be skipped unless it is absolutely necessary.
Shemtob Draganosky Taylor Stein, PC Child Custody Attorneys
Co-parenting can be difficult, and our child custody attorneys understand that summer vacation may make it complicated for parents. Our child custody attorneys are available to help you review your custody plan and resolve any new custody issues that may arise this summer. With over 100 years of combined experience, our firm is prepared to help your family find solutions to important custody issues.
Schedule a consultation with our experienced team of attorneys today to learn more about how we can help your family with custody issues that may arise this summer. Call us at (215) 544-3974 or contact us online.
