Soon, summer will be here and the kids will be free from their classroom duties. While some parents joke about having too much time with their kids and not being able to wait until the kids head back to school, you don’t hear those complaints from divorced parents. Every moment spent with their child is precious, so it’s safe to say divorced parents are looking forward to their special time.
Summer can be bittersweet for divorced parents, because this is a time of year that can place more stress on parents trying to navigate through the legal red-tape that comes with divorce, custody and visitation issues. This could leave parents feeling guilty and battling negative feelings. The experienced attorney and legal team at the law offices of David Pedrazas can help parents get through this process in order to enjoy their best summer yet.
Custody Process
Sharing custody of your children means sharing a lot of different things, including equal time with your children over the long summer break. Something as simple as a trip to the beach may not require much in the way of working out a detailed calendar, but vacations out of town, state, or even the country, require detailed schedules well in advance.
Courts don’t like to take children away from their parents unless one parent is clearly unfit. The bitterness that is sometimes the result of a long custody battle may have one parent thinking the other is unfit, but when two parents fight tooth and nail to retain rights to their children, it just means those parents love their kids very much. When thinking about scheduling vacation, think about how important it is that your children spend as much time with each parent as possible. You always want to put your children’s needs before your own; this is what the courts look at when they determine custody.
Enjoy Your Holiday
It’s best for both you and your ex-spouse to advise each other well in advance of your plans for the summer. Detail your pick up and drop off details, and have a meeting with your ex to discuss your plans. It’s best to make sure you’re both on the same page when it comes to each other’s plans. Be considerate when thinking about the cost of flights and hotels. Many times a flight cannot be cancelled, so if your ex is going to be flying out for vacation, don’t wait until after the flight is booked to decide the child can’t go with them.
First Time Jitters
If this is the first summer of your divorce, you or your child may be experiencing first time jitters. It can be difficult to let your child go away for a long period of time without you around, and you may be experiencing some feelings of nostalgia and longing for your old family unit to be intact. If you feel that way, surely your child does.
Consider the following when sending your child away for the first time without you:
- Have your child write a journal so he can share his trip with you upon his return.
- Consider purchasing a camera – even a disposable one – so your child can take photos and document her trip.
- Schedule a time for your child to call you a few times throughout the trip so you two can connect.
- Speak positively about the trip, and touch upon all the fun things planned.
There is no doubt this will not be easy, but the positive attitude you have will wear off on your child, and possibly your ex. The easier you make this on everyone, the more positive an experience it will be for your child, and you are setting precedent for future years.
Divorce is hard, it’s painful, and it’s a process no one wishes to go through. However, when you need the experiences of a family law attorney, turn to the law office of David Pedrazas. You can get through all the firsts and rebuild your life, in a positive, loving way. Contact us here or call 801-263-7078 for a Legal Case Review.