Now that it’s mid-November, the holidays are fast approaching. Soon, people will be celebrating Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas. For many people, the holidays are a joyous time. They symbolize family traditions, warmth and love, good food, gift-giving, and creating memories that last a lifetime. But for divorced parents, the holidays can cause stress, especially as it comes to scheduling and finding balance.
If you’re a parent who's on the road to divorce, the thought of sharing your child during the holidays can be unsettling, but the good news is it’s not that hard to make it work. As you address child custody during your divorce, it’s important to put some serious thought into the holidays because a poorly laid out plan can cause unnecessary distress.
Creating a Child Custody Agreement
These days, courts across the nation encourage joint custody arrangements. In the absence of abandonment, child neglect, and domestic violence, the family courts encourage child custody schedules that allow both parents to be actively engaged in their children’s lives. Since joint physical custody is common, many Nevada parents are faced with having to come up with workable holiday schedules that are in the best interests of their children.
As a parent, when you go through the divorce process, you’ll be required to draft a child custody agreement with your spouse, which will have to be reviewed and signed off by the judge on your case. This agreement will outline the details of your child custody arrangement and it will include provisions for spring break, summer vacation, and holidays. Coming to an agreement may take compromise, but it’s important that you work together until you reach a practical solution you can both agree on.
Here are some things to consider when making provisions for holidays in child custody agreements:
- The children’s ages
- Family traditions
- School schedules
- Work schedules
- Children’s special interests
- Distance between parents’ homes
What Holiday Custody Arrangements Look Like
There are various ways to create a child custody arrangement for holidays. Common approaches include alternating holidays each year. Another option is to divide Christmas Eve and Christmas; for example, Dad gets the kids on Christmas Eve and Mom gets the kids on Christmas Day.
If the parents are on good terms, they don’t have to give up anything. If everyone gets along, the parents can spend the holidays together, even if new significant others are in the picture. This often works well when the children are young and are enamored by the magic of the holiday, such as Hanukkah or Christmas.
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To learn more about child custody and visitation during the holidays, contact Leavitt Law Firm by calling (702) 996-6052 for a consultation.