Surviving the Spring Break Custody Battles with Your Co-Parent
While your children are likely excited about their upcoming spring break, it can also be a time of confusion for them when their parents are divorced or separated. It often causes problems with custody and could result in a high-conflict situation. Disagreements could renew custody battles.
Spring break and other breaks from school can sometimes be tricky. This is especially true during the first couple of years after a divorce or separation. Each custody situation is different, as well, which can make things feel even more complicated.
Check the Arrangement
You already have a custody agreement in place with your ex, and there is a good chance that it stipulates what should happen with the children during vacations. Check the agreement to ensure that both parents understand who has the children during that time.
Sometimes, a parent will be excited about spring break and will want to plan a vacation to take their kids out of town. However, if they aren’t granted custody during that time, they can’t suddenly change the agreement to suit their needs. The custody arrangement is supposed to be followed. Always check the agreement before making any plans and spending money on hotels, travel, etc.
Other times, the specifics of who has the children during the breaks might not be stipulated in the plan. If they aren’t, you and your ex should try to talk with one another about the best course of action for the children. This has the potential to lead to more conflict, so it may be better to have other parties involved to help with the discussion. This is particularly true in cases where the parents are at odds with one another.
Consider Communicating in Writing
Ideally, your parenting plan will be concrete and it will be easy to see what’s expected of both parents. This can leave less room for disagreement and arguments. However, not all agreements are so clearly defined, particularly with school breaks. One of the best things you can do if you plan to travel with the children during spring break is get permission in writing from your ex. Without express permission, your ex could cause legal problems for you.
Keep the lines of communication open with your ex and answer any questions they may have. It can give them peace of mind. Of course, all situations are different.
Working and Watching the Kids
We all know that it can sometimes be hard to handle school vacations because they require schedule changes on your part. This is true even if they are for just a week or two. Having the kids home rather than at school may mean taking a vacation yourself if possible.
It might also mean finding someone to watch the children while you are away at work. This has the potential to be expensive. If you are responsible for the children during spring break, would your ex be agreeable to help pay for someone to watch them, or would you have to pay? Keep in mind that they generally won’t be required to if you have custody of them during that time.
If you and your ex will both be working, you will want to think about help from extended family members. Sometimes, grandparents, older siblings, aunts, etc. could help out and watch the children. It might even be fun for them to head out to one of their relative’s homes for a week.
In some cases, you may want to find a way to temporarily change the custody schedule and work with your ex if they can take and watch the children. Of course, this doesn’t always work out, and you may need to search for other options. Reputable day camps could be something to consider depending on the age of your children.
Getting Some Help from Attorneys
As you can see, there are a lot of questions and variables when it comes to custody. The best course of action is to find a reputable family lawyer in Brooklyn to help. They can look at your current agreement if you are already divorced and see what options are available. If you are still getting divorced, the lawyers for custody battles can work on your side to ensure you are treated fairly.
If you have any questions or concerns about how to handle custody and spring break, an attorney can give you the information you need. They can help ensure you don’t mistakenly do anything illegal that could jeopardize your relationship with your children and your custody rights.
The last thing you want to do is go into any sort of custody disagreement or battle on your own. Your rights are often at stake, and you want to do what’s best for the kids. Be sure you have someone on your side who can help. Get in touch with Brian D. Perskin & Associates today.