The holidays can be difficult for families that no longer reside under the same roof. Having a holiday visitation schedule can make your holidays significantly easier. This allocates specific time for each parent and takes precedence over your regular visitation arrangement. With a well-planned visitation schedule, you can spend your quality holiday time without having to continually negotiate with your former spouse.
Unfortunately, there is no “cookie-cutter” holiday visitation schedule. Every family case is unique, therefore your holiday visitation schedule should be a tailored fit for you and your family. When planning your holiday visitation schedule, it is often in your best interest to consider what schedules would work best for your children and former spouse.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER:
- Children’s school and extracurricular activities
- Work and travel schedules of both parents
- Length of travel time and travel costs
Holiday visitation is generally laid out in a court-approved agreement between the parties. The agreement will cover how all visits and holidays are split between the parents. Typically, visitation arrangements will follow one of the following formats.
- There is no special holiday schedule, meaning the regular time-sharing schedule applies even during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays.
- There is a schedule specified, but the parents are able to agree on something outside the schedule if they wish, and they may choose to follow the schedule as a default if necessary (i.e. they can’t agree).
- The holiday schedule is specified with defined start and end times for each parent’s time with the children for certain holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions. (Most common plan implemented; helps reduce any possible conflict)
COMMON HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS
- Alternate holidays every other year: You can assign holidays to each parent for even years and then swap the holidays in odd years. With this arrangement, you won’t miss spending a holiday with your child for more than one year in a row.
- Split the holiday in half: You can split the day of the holiday so that your child spends part of the day with each parent. This arrangement requires planning and coordination because you don’t want your child to spend holidays traveling all day.
- Assign fixed holidays: You can have each parent celebrate the same holidays with the child every year. If parents have different holidays that they think are important, each parent can have those holidays every year.
- Schedule a holiday twice: You can schedule time for each parent to celebrate a holiday with your child. For example, one parent can celebrate Christmas with the child on Dec. 23th and the other parent on the 25th.
It is important to remember that normally no make-up time given for missed regular visitation due to a holiday schedule. This is because any inequities will even out over time. You may lose time one year and gain it the next due to how the holidays fall on the calendar.
HOW TO MAKE CHANGES TO A VISITATION SCHEDULE
Assuming your defined visitation schedule doesn’t fit your plans, you may adjust your visitation schedule, provided your ex agrees. Creativity and compromise are the two essential ingredients to navigate the co-parenting landscape. While you don’t need to always agree to your ex’s requests, remaining flexible can give you additional leverage in court if there are legal issues that you need to resolve in the future. It is highly recommended to provide ample notice and remain flexible when attempting to modify a visitation arrangement.
OTHER HOLIDAYS TO CONSIDER:
- Halloween
- Thanksgiving weekend
- Christmas
- Winter break
- New Years
- Easter
- Spring break
- Mother’s/Father’s day
- Your child’s birthday
- Parent’s birthdays
- 3-Day weekends (includes Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day. Parents)
In some cases, an ex makes matters worse, or a situation is simply too difficult to handle without help. If you are facing any type of family legal issue, such as divorce, custody, support, or custody matters, the experienced family law attorneys at The Louisiana Family Law Firm are here to help.
For comprehensive legal support in family matters, turn to Louisiana Family Law Firm. Our dedicated team is here to assist you. Contact us for information or visit one of our convenient locations. Your family’s well-being is our priority.
