The festive season can be a tricky time for a lot of co-parenting families. Whether you are newly separated, newly divorced or have been apart for some time, navigating the negotiations of the care of and contact with your children over the festive season can be difficult for many people.
If you are experiencing issues during this time of the year, hopefully you have a parenting plan which details how care and contact is supposed to work, or at the very least, sets out how co-parents are supposed to deal with any disputes which may arise in this regard.
Short school holidays, depending on the child’s age and maturity, usually alternate. For example, if the September school holiday is spent with one parent, then that holiday will be spent with the other parent the following year.
Long school holidays, again depending on the child’s age and maturity, are usually split in half. If the child spends the first half of, for example, the December school holiday with one parent, then the following year the child will spend the second half of the same school holiday with that parent.
If parents are not able to come to an agreement regarding contact during the school holidays and over important religious days, it is important for them to have a look at the parenting plan or Court Order in this regard.
If you do not have a parenting plan, or your parenting plan is silent on, or does not clearly detail how care and contact is supposed to work during this time, it is strongly advised that you approach a family law specialist to assist you in resolving these issues as soon as possible.
Whether your issue relates to the enforcement of a parenting plan or Court Order, or whether you are experiencing difficulties obtaining consent to travel, obtaining passports, or maintenance during the festive season, our offices can help guide you through these often confusing and frustrating times.
For direct answers to your specific personal questions, please contact us directly.
Read more about our child law services.
Author – Jessica Gooding
