Lara Bracamonte Davila

Doing What Is Right For You

Child custody and back-to-school season

On Behalf of | Jul 28, 2020 | Family Law

With back-to-school season right around the corner, it’s safe to assume that you have a lot on your mind. In addition to personally preparing your children for the new school year, you may have questions and concerns regarding child custody and visitation.

As daily schedules change, it’s imperative to communicate with your ex-spouse to ensure that you’re on the same page.

Here are some of the questions you should answer as soon as possible:

  • How will school affect the time that the both of you spend with your children? For example, your ex-spouse may have visitation rights, but now that school is in session your children are spending more time at extracurricular activities. This means they have less time for visits. You may need to alter the schedule for the time being.
  • Who is responsible for making decisions regarding education? This depends primarily on which parent, or both, have legal custody. If you have sole legal custody of your children, it’s 100% up to you to make decisions regarding education, as well as other details such as extracurricular activities.
  • Have you planned for vacations and holidays? As the first half of the school year wears on, you’ll come to find that the holiday season is right around the bend. The sooner you can plan a schedule for the months of November and December, the better off you’ll be. This allows both you and your ex to prepare accordingly. For instance, if you plan on taking your children out of town for Thanksgiving, you must first review your parenting plan and discuss it with your ex.

As your children prepare for their first day of school, you should turn some of your attention to matters regarding child custody and visitation. By communicating with your ex early on, you reduce the likelihood of an argument or disagreement in the future.

Should your ex ignore the parenting plan and take steps to make your life difficult, it could be time to request a modification. This may be your last option, but you need to do whatever you can to ensure stability for your children while they’re in school.