Parents will usually be entitled to exercise specific contact on various special and/or religious holidays that are important or relevant to their family unit. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are considered by many parents to be one of the most important days of the year to be able to spend time with their children, particularly due to gift giving.
How parents divide up this time between one another varies according to what will be most suitable for them and (more importantly) for their children, and this can take many different forms depending on what they may be able to agree upon together.
The standard approach taken by the Offices of the Family Advocate and the Courts tends towards the parents alternating Christmas Eve and Christmas Day between them each year. This allows for one parent to enjoy Christmas Eve and the early hours of Christmas Day of unwrapping gift before the children are collected by the other parent to continue unwrapping their gifts with that parent and to participate in the Christmas Day celebrations throughout the rest of the day.
However, everyone’s situation is different and may be celebrated differently. Some parents may have a more amicable relationship and spend Christmas Day together with their children. Some parents may have one parent exercise contact on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, swapping every year. Christmas may be more important for one parent than the other, or one parent may not celebrate Christmas.
There is no one-size fits all scenario. It is best if there is co-operation and agreement between the parents, as children can pick up on the hostility between them and this could affect their ability to happily celebrate these times. If you are experiencing difficulty with exercising contact with your children this holiday period, feel free to contact us so that we can see how best to address your own situation.
For direct answers to your specific personal questions, please contact us directly.
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Author – Murray Taylor
