In child custody cases, a Utah custody schedule is ordered by the court for planned parent-time, including on holidays. The formal parent-time schedule normally addresses all major public holidays, like Thanksgiving, and personal holidays, like birthdays. However, holidays like Halloween may be overlooked in the schedule. But, Halloween can be an important opportunity for many parents and kids to celebrate and have fun together. Here are some ways you may be able to resolve Halloween parent-time conflicts without your child custody lawyer:
Plan Ahead for Halloween Visitation
The best way to manage Halloween and other holiday custody and child visitation issues is to include provisions for all holidays in your formal court-ordered parenting plan. Parents might tend to focus on agreements for just the most prominent national and personal holidays during negotiations for the formal parenting plan. However, it can be very helpful to make sure all holidays, including Halloween, are included in the parent-time schedule for both odd and even years.
Halloween can offer one of the most exciting opportunities of the year for children and parents to engage in fun activities together. Kids can dress up in their costumes as people in roles they admire, like firefighters, or as superheroes, or favorite movie characters. They can go from place to place being greeted and receiving candy. Parents can enjoy the whole process and their kids’ contagious excitement.
Having the parent-time schedule settled for all the coming childhood years is key to smoother co-parenting. Parents need to be able to rely on a complete parent-time schedule. A comprehensive plan frees both parents to enjoy Halloween and as many other celebrations of festive occasions with their children throughout the year as possible.
Share or Divide Halloween Events
If parents live in the same area, they may be able to share the day with their child or divide the Halloween festivities, so both parents have some opportunities to celebrate the holiday with their child(ren). For parents who do not live within close proximity to each other, the most practical option may be to have parent-time on alternating years for Halloween, as with some other holidays.
- Halloween Daytime: Children and parents can enjoy Halloween activities throughout the daytime hours. If the holiday falls on a school day, one parent can have the morning parent-time, helping the child dress up in his or her costume, putting on the face paint, and taking great pictures to share with the family. On weekend Halloweens, there are often public trick-or-treat venues at malls, fire stations, and other exciting locations.
- Halloween Evening: On Halloween evening, kids want to go trick-or-treating. Young children go in the early evening, usually at dusk or shortly after dark. Parents walk with their children from door to door, ensuring their safety around traffic, supervising their interactions, and enjoying their excitement as the kids receive their treats.
- Other Halloween Celebration Options: Many shopping districts, malls, parking lot festivities sponsored by local civic clubs, and other organizations offer activities for kids to celebrate Halloween without risk from traffic. Often, such events are held on a day around Halloween. This means kids can wear their costumes twice and have the opportunity to spend special holiday time with both parents at different festivities.
For Help with Parent-Time Disputes Around Halloween
When Halloween is not addressed in the Utah parent-time schedule, then disputes over who should spend time with the child(ren) on this holiday are much more likely to occur. Naturally, you need a schedule that will ensure your child’s best interest and allow your child and you to spend quality time together celebrating the holiday. If you find yourself in child custody or visitation conflict with your child’s other parent, you may need the help of your child visitation rights lawyer for guidance to help resolve the issue.
