Sharing child custody over the summer months can be complicated. The children’s schedules change significantly, as do the obligations of the parents. During the school year, parents may work while their kids are in school, but having three months off means that things have to shift.
At these times, communication between the divorced parents is very important. They may need to alter the child custody schedule, and talking about it in advance can help avoid conflicts.
Planning a vacation
For example, one parent may decide that they want to use the summer break to take a vacation with their children. They may decide to use personal time off from their job so that they can go on a road trip or fly across the country.
All of this is possible, but it is wise to communicate with the other co-parent and create a vacation schedule. In some cases, couples may need to modify their custody arrangement entirely, going through the court to do so. In other cases, they may simply need to communicate with one another. Even if a parent has physical custody rights, they may still need to inform the other parent that they are taking the kids out of state.
Addressing other changes
Even when parents try to create a relatively consistent schedule, there may be changes that are different from the school year. Child custody exchanges may take place at different locations or at different times. Parents may need to talk about letting grandparents watch the children, putting them in daycare or hiring a babysitter.
In other words, co-parenting over the summer is complicated, but communication can help it go smoothly. When parents have questions about their custody rights, it can help to work with an experienced attorney.