By James S. Margulis, Esq.
The above article is an excellent reminder that divorced parents need to plan ahead for summer vacation with regard to all of their children issues.
The first issue that parents need to address is the actual timesharing of the children. Hopefully, the parents have a solid Parenting Plan in place that already sets forth the summer schedule. Even so, the summer schedule has variations that need to be addressed ahead of time. If your children are participating in summer camps, the actual time schedule may not be the same as the school schedule, so the drop off/pick up times may vary. Further, there may be certain weeks where the children will not be in camp. It is important that you plan ahead with regard to your work schedule and/or alternative child care arrangements.
The second issue that needs to be addressed is vacation time. Most Parenting Plans contain Notice provisions. These Notice provisions typically require that you give the other parent at least 30 days written notice, along with the itinerary and contact information for the vacation. It is critical that you provide as much Notice as possible so that the other parent can plan accordingly. Also, if passports are required for the trip, you must plan ahead as it will take at least 30 days to obtain the same.
The third issue is the costs of summer activities. Parenting Plans typically require one party to provide a receipt of the cost of extra-curricular activities and then the other party has 30 days to provide reimbursement. This can be extremely challenging when neither party has a lot of money. The parents need to work together financially to find the best solutions to afford the summer camps/childcare option that best fit your family. Finally, it is critical that you sign up your children for summer camps now as the options fill up quickly.
As the article clearly sets forth, the critical factor to a successful summer for children of divorced parents is to plan ahead. Even so, there can still be issues that arise.
Please contact the Domestic Team at Cantafio & Song PLLC for all of your Family Law needs.