With the end of school and summer vacation right around the corner, divorced parents of minor children should take steps to ensure a smooth summer break. The best way to prepare for the upcoming summer months is to review your parenting plan for the following issues:
- During the summer months timesharing exchanges will no longer take place at school or the bus stop. It is important to review your parenting plan to identify the time and place for timesharing exchanges once summer break begins.
- Some parenting plans include a right of first refusal, which may provide the non-timesharing parent with opportunities to exercise additional timesharing, when the timesharing parent is unavailable due to work, travel commitments and vacations.
- A parenting plan may include travel restrictions, especially when it comes to international travel. If you are planning any vacations this summer, it is important to review your parenting plan to make sure you are complying with all provisions relating to interstate or foreign travel.
- Your parenting plan may also provide additional timesharing during the summer months. Often times, each parent will be entitled to two uninterrupted weeks of timesharing during summer break. Make sure you review your parenting plan and understand any timesharing changes that may take effect over the summer.
- Before registering for summer camps review your parenting plan to verify you are complying with all notice and registration requirements. Often times, both parents must consent to summer camp or the cost may be shifted entirely to one parent. In addition, it is important to understand how the fees and costs for summer camp are divided before committing to summer camp.
- Summer break often means bumps, scrapes and bruises. In the event a child needs emergency medical treatment, however, it is important to notify the non-timesharing parent of such treatment as soon as reasonably possible.
The summer is typically the best time of year for a child. We hope these tips will help you and your family have a stress-free summer break.
