For most divorced parents with children, summer is that time of the year when normal scheduled parenting arrangements are placed on hold. With school out and kids on different schedules, new arrangements are implemented. In many child custody agreements, parents decide to share some time with their children during the summer vacation. While this can be a stressful process, it doesn’t have to be.
What every Seattle child custody lawyer will agree on is the need for parents to remain civil to one another for the sake of the children. Before summer vacation begins, it helps to get together with your former spouse and develop a vacation schedule. This allows you to iron out any differences and tweak the schedule beforehand, without the need to indulge in a slanging match in front of your child.
If you have made vacation plans that could interfere with the previously agreed-upon schedule, make sure that your former spouse knows about these plans. It’s a bad idea to simply take off, without informing the other party. Besides the fact that it is inconsiderate, it could also result in legal action against you.
If you and your ex-spouse have a thorny relationship, and it is not possible to decide on a vacation schedule without tempers flaring, then drag in a neutral 3rd party that both of you are close to. This person’s job will be to mediate between the two of you, to help develop a summer schedule that is best for your child.
In most child custody agreements in Seattle, the agreement clearly sets out the amount of vacation time that each parent is given. Each parent is also given the responsibility of providing a few weeks’ notice of vacation plans. Keep these issues in mind so no surprises spring up at the last minute.
