This is the time of year when a lot of newly divorced parents realize – to their dismay – that they did not adequately account for the holidays on their parenting plans. Unfortunately, the issue of who gets the children for which holidays can become much more complicated than it needs to be.
However, it is possible to make sure you get a visitation agreement that works for you and protects your relationship with your children through the holiday season. Although a custody and visitation modification can be obtain from the courts in certain situations, it is much better to handle this ahead of time during the divorce process.
Protecting Your Holiday Visitation Rights in the Divorce Process
Here are the steps you can take to protect your visitation rights during holiday seasons:
- Work with a lawyer to make a plan: The best thing you can do is talk to your lawyer in advance, explain what you want and work together to come up with a sound strategy.
- Set reasonable expectations: For every aspect of a divorce, the greatest challenges most people have are a result of unrealistic expectations. If you expect to win on every disputed issue or to have the kids for every possible holiday, you will most likely be disappointed. The key is setting realistic expectations and working toward the best result possible.
- Communicate: By communicating well with your lawyer and with everyone involved in the negotiation, there will be more opportunity for creative thinking and collaborative solutions.
The stakes are too high to take your visitation and parenting plan lightly. By having reasonable expectations, working strategically with your lawyer and communicating well, you will greatly increase the chances of having an equitable parenting plan that will work for you for years to come.
