If you have recently divorced, you might find the custody agreement you put in place does not work as well as usual over the vacations.
While you cannot just ignore your custody agreement entirely, you can negotiate minor changes to it with your spouse, without needing to ask a judge. Doing this can help you ensure you, your ex and your kids enjoy the summer. Here are some things to consider:
Be flexible
Your ex tells you they have been invited to a friend’s beach house next week and want to take your child. If you are still mad at them, you might be tempted to tell them no, because according to the custody schedule, the kids are meant to be with you during the week. Your kids will not thank you if you make them miss out just to get one over on your ex.
Ask your kids what they want to do
Maybe you think a week away at the beach house would be great for your child. They might have other ideas. They might not like the people your ex is going with, or they might have made plans to do things with their friends. The older your child is, the more you need to ask their opinion about how they want to spend their summer.
Enjoy summer yourself
If your ex does take your kids away, make the most of any extra break that gives you, especially if the kids usually live with you.
Getting legal help to create a custody agreement increases the chance that you make one that works for the whole year. If you find it is not working as planned, and you cannot work things out between you, you may need to consider a modification.
