How to plan for parenting time during spring break

With divorced and separated couples in Ohio, spring break can be a part of March Madness that neither person wants to enjoy. It can be especially difficult to make plans if there is no court order or temporary decree to set forth rules to follow. Even for those with parenting plans, there may be gray areas that are subject to different interpretations.

So what can parents do to avoid conflicts over parenting time during spring break?

Know your basic rights - This is especially important for couples who do not have an established order with a parenting time schedule. For unmarried parents (as an example), an unmarried woman has legal and physical custody of a child until a father petitions for these rights.

Talk about vacation plans ahead of time - Doing this enables couples to create reasonable expectations and move past the emotional issues that often plague vacation plans with a new person. It will also create time to discuss (and resolve) problems involving reservations and competing plans.

Reduce the agreement to writing - This may seem self explanatory, but a written agreement helps parties remember what was agreed upon, and it serves as a reference point to resolve potential disputes. Also, it is worth the time to have the agreement reviewed by an experienced family law attorney or parenting time expeditor.

Don't wait until the last minute - 11^th hour changes can be difficult and disruptive, especially when other parties have relied on an established plan for spring vacations. Indeed, life happens, and sometimes plans must change. However, arbitrary changes at the last minute should be avoided.

In our next post, we will discuss the best remedies for when parenting time goes wrong during spring break.

Source: OurFamilyWizard.com, Planning for spring break