Louise Kiely from the Family Team at Ashfords Solicitors outlines the planning required for separated parents when considering summer holidays with children
As thoughts turn to summer holiday plans, separated parents may find themselves trying to navigate arrangements for the children over the summer holidays. Factoring in time with wider family members as well as any trips away and prioritising the children spending quality time with both parents can be a challenging balancing act.
Planning the summer holidays early is essential. Ensuring the children know where they will be and for how long helps to make them feel at ease. Leaving plans to the last minute often adds additional stress for all parties, difficulty managing expectations and time pressure which can lead to heightened emotions. If you can, have a discussion as soon as possible about the arrangements for the summer holidays, including any trips away either parent has booked. Setting out arrangements or proposals in writing, taking into consideration the travel time for the children, is a useful starting point.
There is no right or wrong in terms of time spent with each parent. Splitting the holidays in a way that is fair and suits the family, as well as allowing the children to spend quality time with each parent, is paramount. Limiting long periods of travel on consecutive days is often favoured, so working out the journey’s (including any planned trips) in advance can assist in setting out a clear structure for arrangements.
If one parent wants to take the children abroad during the summer holiday, they must seek consent of the other parent before doing so. Ideally this should be before a holiday abroad is booked and should be factored into any agreed arrangements for the summer holidays.
Arrangements for one family may not suit another – it is important to consider what works best for the children as well as both parents. It may be that dividing the summer holidays in half works and will facilitate any trips, although this may be a long time without seeing the other parent. Consideration can also be given to indirect contact such as telephone calls, FaceTime or messaging (this will depend on the age of the children).
If an agreement is reached, it is worth considering whether this can be replicated year on year. If an agreement cannot be reached, then help is available. A mediation session could be arranged to discuss and agree plans or help from a solicitor can also be sought. Court applications should be made only as a last resort. Starting discussions with the other parent early gives time to try and resolve matters and time to ask for help if required. Parents can ensure an enjoyable summer holiday period by ironing out any problems as soon as possible and making sure a resolution can be reached before the holidays start.
For more information please contact Louise Kiely, 07809 207551, email hidden; JavaScript is required.