Co-parenting over the summer

Many divorced parents in California work hard to minimize the impact of divorce on their children. This means negotiating fair child support agreements and developing parenting plans that allow both parents to develop a strong relationship with their kids. While many parenting plans focus on visitation during the school year, summer vacation can be a challenge.

Because the school year is regimented with kids being school five days a week, parenting plans often focus on weekend visitation for parents who do not have physical custody as well as regular weeknight visits. Things can become more complicated when kids are not being cared for while at school, and vacation plans or summer activities may not follow traditional school week scheduling.

Divorced parents would do well to sit down and determine summer plans for the kids, and themselves, before summer break actually begins. It is not unusual for each parent to take children on a vacation at some point during the summer, and those trips will have to be scheduled in ways that meet the needs of all parties. In addition, a parent with primary physical custody may need assistance with childcare over the summer, which may require a reworking of visitation schedules.

Unfortunately, for parents who have had an acrimonious divorce, rearranging summer visitation schedules can be a difficult task. Experts recommend the parents keep in mind that summer vacation is a relatively short period that will eventually end, allowing the children to go back to a more regimented parenting time schedule.

Parents who are concerned about summer parenting plans may benefit from speaking with an experienced family law attorney. A lawyer may be able to review a client’s current visitation or custody arrangements and provide guidance in making any necessary modifications.