Newly separated couples with children often have a hard time coordinating their schedules when they no longer live in the same house. Parents will have to come up with a child custody arrangement that works well for both of them while still prioritizing the child.
Coordinating vacations is an important part of co-parenting after divorce. Parents often like to take vacations with their children when they are out of school. You may use fixed or flexible dates for your vacation scheduling:
- Fixed dates: Once you have made a list of the child’s potential vacation days and divide them up between you and your ex. For example, if you already know that you plan to take a vacation with your child the first week of July every year, you can have July 1 through July 8 assigned to you in your plan.
- Flexible dates: If you need more flexibility, your plan can just specify the number of vacation days each parent will have each year. This will allow you to divide up your days throughout the year as you see fit.
Your plan may also specify terms and conditions relating to any planned vacations including:
- How much notice a parent needs to give the other parent before going on vacation with the child.
- How much information the vacationing parent needs to provide the other parent regarding the vacation (e.g., dates, hotel, or contact information)
- How often the non-vacationing parent can contact the child while he or she is on vacation and which methods of communication will be used (e.g., email or video chat).
Once your parenting plan is in place, you and your ex will be able to co-parent smoothly. California courts will generally approve a parenting plan drafted by the parents as long as it serves the best interest of the child.
