School’s Out for Summer! Do You Have a Plan?
With the end of the schoolyear for children and the beginning of the summer quickly approaching, separated and divorced parents face some challenges that intact families may not. Before you depart for the beach, lake or pool, have you considered the following questions?
Does the current physical custody schedule for parental custodial time with the children serve the children’s best interests? Will you need to make adjustments when school resumes?
Have you made your written request for your upcoming vacation time to your co-parent and have you provided travel plans/itineraries? Have they provided you with the same information?
If your plans include travel outside of the United States, have you obtained your co-parent’s consent for international travel and their cooperation for obtaining a passport for a minor?
Does your custody agreement/order detail the family plan for summer holidays including Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day?
Have you and your co-parent agreed upon summer childcare plans and or summer camp enrollment? If so, which parent has the responsibility for the costs of those plans? If it’s a shared responsibility for the costs, what percentage does each parent pay?
Will any of your children be starting school or starting in a new school in the fall? And if so, have you obtained your co-parent’s consent? Will there be new or increased tuition costs? Do you need to consider modifying your support arrangements?
If you are uncertain about your answers, you may want to review your current custody and/or support agreements/orders with your attorney to ensure that you have addressed your children’s needs for the summer and the coming schoolyear.
Author: Judy Hayman
