Many families are optimistic that this year’s Christmas season will be much more typical than last year’s. However, the tension may be at an all-time high for divorced or separated parents fighting with custody arrangements. If you are currently seeking divorce mediation, you may take solace in the fact that you are in a good setting for negotiating Christmas parenting arrangements. If you are not currently involved in mediation, this may be an excellent moment to begin.
Some freshly split parents may be uncertain about the specifics of their long-term parenting plan. In this circumstance, you may create a temporary custody arrangement that takes into account the present holidays. Carefully adhere to the remainder of your strategy. In the spirit of flexibility, parents may agree to terms such as “shared custody,” “equal parenting time,” or “a 70/30 time split” but leave out specifics.
While these agreements are a solid starting point, every parenting plan must contain specific stipulations. These include the general form of custody, the manner in which parents will share decision-making, a time-sharing schedule for weekday evenings, weekend hours, vacation time, lawful and religious holiday time, birthday parties, as well as other special occasions, and a summary of how the schedule will change if either parent moves.
Beyond these fundamentals, the quantity of information you will often want will depend on how successfully you co-parent. Refer to this page for further information on what to include. Even the most cooperative parents want further information on religious upbringing and extended holiday timesharing. FPDS can help with mediation Aldershot
There are no laws regarding the division of holiday parenting time after a divorce, and the beauty of mediation is that it encourages parents to be creative. Some parents are so cordial that they celebrate some holidays together. Others need to maintain distance from everything. Generally, parents who live farther away must split up full holidays or alternate years for certain holidays. If this is the only feasible option for your family, including planned facetime into your strategy might be beneficial. Establishing your own traditions might be a component of a new beginning after a divorce.
Whether you live a few streets away or hundreds of miles apart, and whether you want to share holiday time or alternate holidays, it is vital to put some specifics in writing. Agreements should specify who is responsible for deliveries and pickups, as well as exchange times and locations. In addition, they should identify each holiday and establish a start and finish time for each holiday or for each portion of a holiday spent with each parent.
If children will be travelling, be careful to identify who will be responsible for arranging travel arrangements, paying travel expenditures, and communicating trip information to the other parent. The majority of parents are willing to disclose at least the most fundamental information, such as airline or train dates and numbers, hotel information, and phone numbers.
Focusing on the spirit of the holidays and avoiding turning disputes into a race for time with children is of utmost importance. Moving from residence to residence over the holidays may be traumatic for children. Attend to their requirements and make things as simple and enjoyable as feasible for them. Children of a more mature age should have influence on where they spend their time.
Due to the fact that many religious practises overlap with holiday preparations, families often discuss these two topics simultaneously. This might be especially delicate for interfaith couples who are divorcing. Raising children of two different religions inside the same family may be tough enough. Once couples divorce, it may become much more difficult. On the other side, it may be advantageous for parents to split the holiday schedule in order to optimise the children’s time with each parent on their respective significant religious festivals.
Remember that your children’s best interests are paramount. This entails avoiding placing undue pressure on youngsters to choose between various religious traditions, which might make them feel as if they are being forced to choose between their parents – FPDS Aldershot can help you with this.
When forging an agreement on the religious upbringing of children, more than only the holiday calendar may be at risk. A court addressing a dispute in this area would consider the overall custody arrangement if there is no agreement or just a vague agreement between the parents. A parent with exclusive legal custody is the primary religious upbringing decision-maker. In the considerably more frequent case of shared legal custody, the main carer — often the parent with primary physical custody or greater parenting time — has the authority to make these choices.
If parents share legal custody and parenting time equally, the court may need to consider other circumstances. By selecting a main carer in the parenting agreement, this kind of uncertainty may be avoided, so avoiding a costly and time-consuming judicial procedure. Parents may also expressly delegate religious upbringing authority to either parent.
Unless both parents agree otherwise, only the parent with decision-making power may enrol children in religious instruction. During parenting time, the other parent maintains the right to take the children to religious services of his or her choosing. This parent is likewise not required to maintain the religious practises of the primary parent. For instance, a non-custodial parent is not required to enforce a custodial parent’s religious food restrictions if there is no proof of damage to the children.
While the custodial parent’s right to oversee the children’s religious upbringing has priority, courts cannot impose rules that substantially restrict the religious freedom of the secondary carer. – With the help of FPDS mediation Aldershot all of these things will be taken into consideration when making your parenting plan.
Even when you and your co-parent reach a compromise regarding how to share the holidays parental plan during your divorce and separation you may choose to make modifications in the future. Occasionally, parents relocate further apart from one another. Even if travel is not a problem, timetables that work for younger children may not work for adolescents. Religious and familial customs are often a cause of contention for decades. Whether you need to alter an existing agreement or never had a satisfying agreement, post-judgment mediation Aldershot may assist you.
Contact us for mediation Aldershot immediately for an introductory consultation if you and your co-parent would want to discuss discussing your parenting plan with one of our professional mediators in Aldershot