When parents in New Hampshire and elsewhere part ways, they are only ending their romantic relationship. They will likely have to maintain a workable parental relationship for the children, which may not be an easy task. Once a custody arrangement is set in place, this may seem like a routine. However, when issues arise, especially when it comes to who gets the children during the holidays, it may be challenging to work through these issues.
In order to avoid the battle of who gets the children during which holiday each year, it is best to negotiate this when developing the initial custody plan. This means making a list of all the holidays that matter to each parent, then indicating when, if at all, each parent will have the children on each holiday.
This may look like alternating each holiday every year, or it could look like one parent always having a certain holiday, such as Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Another issue that will arise is school breaks. This could be difficult to address when a child is very young and not currently in school, but this does not mean it cannot be agreed to ahead of time.
Putting a holiday in schedule in place can help preserve certain traditions and reduce the chances of disputes. Nonetheless, circumstances could arise where the current schedule no longer works or seems practical. This is when this matter may need to be revisited. But, this may not be easily and quickly resolved.
Family law matters can get complex and emotional Even when a divorcing couple is able to reach an amicable custody arrangement for their children, this does not mean the two will be able to amicably handle any future issue pertaining to custody. Thus, it is imperative that parents understand what rights and options they have.
