As the academic school year winds down, summer schedules are quickly approaching. Along with summer break typically comes an array of exciting activities: sleep-away camp, sports programs, and travel for many families. However, for many of our clients, summer break can be a stressful and challenging time. Navigating the summer months when kids are not in school makes timesharing schedules look a bit different. This time requires some creativity and advanced planning. As attorneys, we can help ensure that the summer months run as smoothly as possible for our clients through implementation of careful, strategic, and child-centered parenting plans.
Summer break can be a time for children to participate in extracurriculars and activities different and apart from those regularly taking place during the school year. However, this can necessitate extra coordination and cooperation between parties. Particularly when there is animosity between the parties, reaching an agreement as to which activities their children will participate in during the summer may seem to be yet another daunting task. While it is typically best for the parties to mutually agree on said summer extracurriculars, sometimes this is just not feasible. In that case, as with any other decision-making as it relates to minor children, there needs to be a backup plan in place. The parenting plan should provide specific procedures for selecting and paying for these summer extracurricular activities both in the case that they are or are not mutually agreed upon between the parties.
When it comes to summer vacation and travel procedures, allowing for each parent to have an allotted period of “uninterrupted” time with the minor children is commonplace. This allows each parent to plan their own travel and vacation time with the children outside of their normal timesharing schedule. However, to avoid later conflicts, it is highly recommended to set forth an early deadline for each party to notify one another of their plans for this “uninterrupted” time, far in advance. There should also be a provision specifying what happens in the case that both parties request the same dates or have other conflicts with the dates requested. Accounting for these situations and establishing clear boundaries as to what is expected during this “uninterrupted” time in the parenting plan can help both the parents and the children get the most out of their summer vacation time.
Moreover, detailed procedures for both domestic and international travel should also be accounted for in the parenting plan to avoid last-minute issues. These procedures should include time requirements for providing notice of travel to the other party (which typically differs between domestic and international), the information that must be provided and included in the itinerary to the other parent, and the contact/geographical information for where the children will be staying throughout the duration of the trip. In addition, establishing a protocol for the exchange of the children’s passports can also help to ensure smooth sailing.
Ultimately, carefully crafted procedures regarding extracurriculars, uninterrupted time, and travel will not only help reduce conflict between parents but also serve the best interests of the children and allow for an overall less-stressful summer.
I hope you all have a wonderful summer!
