The holiday season is often a time of great fun and delicious food for families. However, for a divorced or separated couple, there are other things to consider—especially when children are involved.
To avoid unnecessary stress and arguments, it’s important to discuss a custody schedule with your ex-partner in advance if you don’t already have something concrete and legally binding in place this holiday season.
Here are a few helpful tips to consider:
Alternate holidays every other year. If your ex-partner had your children for Thanksgiving last year, it’s extremely reasonable that you should be able to spend time with them this year. You may also want to split the holiday in half—this means your child spends half of the day with you, and half of the day with your ex-partner.
Check in with your children. Make sure they’re aware of how they’ll be spending the days and weeks ahead. You should also consider asking for their input on how they’re feeling and if they have any thoughts on how they’d like to spend time with each parent.
Keep calm when communicating with your ex. We understand how difficult these situations can be—especially with the added stress of the holiday season. Find the best means of communicating with your ex and stick to that. If you tend to argue in person, talk via email or text.
Try to be flexible. After all, the holiday season should be spent happily with your children and without disputes. Be open, honest and caring—if your ex-partner is a few minutes late dropping them off to you, take a deep breath instead of making a snide remark.
Schedule a consultation with an expert Michigan child custody attorney. We know that no one enjoys taking time out of their schedule to participate in legal troubles, but sometimes, it can be the fastest and best way to resolve an issue.
At our law firm, we’ve helped thousands of people just like yourself. If you’re finding that your child custody schedule just isn’t working for you or your children, or if you’d like to revisit the terms of your agreement, we’d love to help.
Contact our firm today to schedule your free consultation.