At the Harris Family Law Group, our skilled Los Angeles divorce attorneys know that the holidays can be stressful for ex-spouses who share minor children.
As both parents plan separate celebrations with their respective sets of family and friends, the kids are often caught in-between, visiting both houses and extended family, which can make for an emotional couple of days for all involved.
Our family law attorneys in Los Angeles County strive to offer our clients guidance, advocacy, and compassion during this otherwise challenging time, by suggesting ways to establish a co-parenting plan that will allow both the kids and their parents to get through the holidays unscathed.
Approaching the holiday season with a game plan is vital to ease the overall process of splitting up your children’s time during the celebrations.
The first detail that should be discussed is timing.
Which days will the kids need to be with the other parent? Whether the visit is required because of the custody agreement, is an agreed-upon time-sharing or day swapping exchange, or because the kids want to be part of both family’s celebrations, the days and times are integral details.
Establish pick-up and drop-off times, so everyone knows where they need to be and when. This allows the parent with the kids to be held accountable for their safety during a specific time and gives the other parent a window of freedom to visit with friends and family of their own.
Depending on the age of your children, you may need to have in-depth conversations about what to expect during the holidays — especially if this is their first holiday season after the divorce.
Explain how they will be splitting their time, where they will go — including the other parent’s house, their grandparents, or other friends or family’s homes — so they know how the day(s) will unfold.
The more they know about how their holidays will be celebrated, the easier the transition will be.
Divorce does not have to mean the end of family traditions. It can mean the start of new, separate traditions that the kids can look forward to with both parents and their families.
Now is the perfect time to remain positive about splitting the kids’ time on holidays, by creating new and exciting celebrations that are all yours. The other parent can do the same, doubling the children’s experiences and giving them something to look forward to each year.
If your kids are spending the holiday away from home, connect with family and friends to celebrate, so you are not spending those days alone. Consider taking a short vacation with friends, or traveling to see family, so you can enjoy the time on your own terms.
If you are considering a divorce in California and do not know what to expect from the process, contact our family law attorneys in Los Angeles at the Harris Family Law Group today to discuss the details of your case during a free consultation by calling 310-745-8644.
