How to Split Summer Vacation After Divorce With Children

Summer vacation can disrupt the normal parenting time schedule established in your divorce. Now that summer is upon us, you’ll need to make a plan with your ex to account for the different schedules the summer may create. Read on for a few tips on creating a summer plan with your ex as well as a few sample arrangements that might work for your family. If you have questions about an existing divorce or another family law matter in Southern California, call a compassionate Claremont child custody divorce lawyer for advice and representation.

Creating Your Summer Vacation Plan

Crafting a summer vacation plan can be a bit complicated as your child’s schedule will suddenly be very different from before. Either or both parents may want to take a vacation, either with or without the kids, and both parties will need to work together to create a schedule that works for everyone. Here are a few tips for ensuring that you create the best parenting time schedule for your child’s summer vacation:

• Plan ahead. Do not wait until the summer is just around the corner to decide what to do. If you can include a sample or shell summer vacation schedule in your child custody agreement during the divorce, do so. Even if the vacation schedule is not explicitly clear from the divorce decree, you should plan for the summer several months ahead of time. This will minimize last-minute disruptions or disagreements and will allow both parents to plan for their summer trips.

• Review your schedule. When devising your summer vacation parenting time split, make sure you plan for any important events you have over the summer. If you’ll be out of town for a work trip or a vacation, or if you want to take the kids on a trip over a specific week or weekend, mark those down for discussion.

• Have an open discussion with your co-parent. If you are able to have a productive conversation with your ex, have an open conversation about your wishes and theirs for the summer. Let them know about your travel plans and listen to theirs. Work together to reach an agreement on what regular schedule works for you and what to do about any outstanding events.

• Set boundaries and rules. If you want to have a very definite summer schedule in place to avoid disruptions, make that clear. If you have concerns about your child traveling to certain locations or engaging in high-risk activities (scuba diving, rock climbing, etc.), make your concerns known. If you expect your kids to keep in contact with you while they’re on vacation with the other parent, ask your co-parent to ensure that they make those efforts. The more open and honest you are, the easier it will be to create a plan that works to everyone’s satisfaction.

Possible Options for Time-Splitting Over Summer Vacation

With those tips for communication in mind, there are several different options you might consider for splitting up your kid’s summer vacation. These options include:

• Keep the same schedule. Most often, co-parents choose to keep the same schedule over the summer months. If one parent has custody during the week and the other parent has custody over the weekends, the arrangement would stay the same. Keeping the same schedule may be the easiest way to align with the parents’ schedules and minimize disruption to the child’s routine.

• Alternate weeks. If you need to mix up the routine to account for your kids no longer being in school, there are a number of options. One popular option is for the kids to alternate weeks at each home, which minimizes back-and-forth travel and allows for easier vacation planning should either parent want to take a trip.

• Majority to the non-custodial parent. Another option the parents may consider is to have the parent who typically has less parenting time get the majority of the parenting time over the summer. If the non-custodial parent typically has parenting time every other weekend, or the parents have an arrangement that reflects the fact that the parents now live in different cities, summer vacation is a great time to equalize parenting time. The non-custodial parent will get more time with the kids to offset their reduced time during the school year, and the custodial parent can take some time off.

These are just a few options. Talk to your co-parent, your kids, and your family law attorney to devise a summer vacation plan that works best for your family.

Call an experienced California family law attorney at Blasser Law for assistance with a dispute over child custody, property division, divorce, or any other California family law matter. The passionate, dedicated Claremont child custody dispute legal team at Blasser Law is ready to assist clients with any family law concerns in the San Gabriel Valley or Los Angeles County. Contact our family law office at 877-927-2181.