With the end of the 2015 school year quickly approaching, many families are planning trips, signing children up for camps, and making other plans in order to enjoy the summer vacation time as much as possible. Summer vacation can be substantially more challenging, however, if two parents have joint custody of a child. Generally, each parent will want to spend time taking trips or doing fun activities over summer vacation and there are ways to keep the stress level as low as possible and coordinate a schedule that works for everyone. The following are some tips for parents to make custody and visitation arrangements go as smoothly as possible over summer break:
1.
Address
the issue in the initial parenting plan1
– If you foresee any scheduling arguments regarding summer break while you
custody case is still going on, you should sit down and address the issue from
the start. If any conflicts later arise, you can refer to the schedule set out
in the parenting plan.
2.
Schedule
events or vacations in advance –
Before summer begins, each parent should schedule all important planned
activities so you can compare and work out any conflicts in advance. This
prevents any surprises if both parents have made plans for a Fourth of July
getaway, for example.
3. Always inform the other parent of vacations – Even if you do not agree on a vacation schedule, you should always notify the other parent if you are taking the child on a trip during your scheduled physical custody or visitation time for emergency and safety purposes. If you refuse to give such notification, the other parent may request that you come to court to explain why you refused. Additionally, if you leave the state with the child without the other parent's permission, you may face more serious allegations of custodial interference.2
If you wish to work out a
summer vacation arrangement but cannot agree, you may want to consult with an
experienced child custody attorney. The attorneys at the Dickson Law Group in
Seattle and Tacoma, Washington have many resources to help you reach a
favorable custody agreement so that you can enjoy summer vacation with your
child.
References:
