Successful Co-Parenting During the Summer Months

 Posted on June 07, 2018 in Child Custody / Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

Summer vacation is right around the corner. If this will be your first summer co-parenting with a parenting plan, it can be easy to get confused about how co-parenting works once school is out for the summer. If you included specific summer vacation plans in your parenting plan, co-parenting this summer can be easy. If you did not, talk to your former spouse about creating a modified parenting schedule for the summer. If you agree on a modification, you can alter your parenting plan at any time.

Adjusting to life after a divorce can be difficult for every member of your family. Use the following guidelines to make this summer the easiest transition possible.

If You Have a Summer Vacation Parenting Plan, Follow It

Many divorcing parents include a summer vacation plan in their parenting time schedules. While the children are out of school, they might spend more weekdays with their non-custodial parent or switch to a weekly alternating schedule, rather than a schedule where they only spend a few fixed days each week with one parent. In your summer parenting plan, be sure to include the start and end date for the seasonal schedule and if applicable, specific, recurring vacations each parent takes. If your child has specific plans for each summer, such as going to summer camp the first week in August, include this as well.

Be Willing to Be Flexible

In the summer, there is usually no homework. Routines tend to fall to the wayside, and afternoons spent lounging by the pool can become late nights catching fireflies. Summer days and nights are where memories are made, so be flexible enough with your schedule to give your child time to make summer memories of his or her own. This does not mean you should abandon your parenting plan completely, but that in the summer, flexibility about the hours your child spends with each parent can go a long way in making it a great summer.

Get the Proper Permission you Need for Vacations

Summer is often when families go on vacation, and you will both probably want to take your child on vacations with you. Before heading out of Illinois, get permission from your former partner to take your child out of state.

Getting permission to leave the country with your child is even more important than getting permission to leave the state, and in many countries, a single parent arriving with a child must provide proof that the other parent has given notarized consent to the child leaving the country. If you take your child out of the United States without your former partner’s permission, you can potentially face a kidnapping charge.

Work with an Experienced Kane County Family Lawyer

For legal guidance with your parenting plan, work with an experienced Kane County family lawyer. Your lawyer can help you navigate the court processes related to developing, modifying, and enforcing your parenting plan. To get started with our firm, contact Shaw Sanders, P.C. today to set up your initial legal consultation in our office. Call us today at 630-584-5550 for help.

Source:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=12200000&SeqEnd=13600000