It probably seems like your child’s spring break just ended, but it’s not too early to make sure that you and your co-parent have your summer custody schedule in place.
If you already have a separate summer break schedule that you switch to when school is out, that’s great. However, if you don’t have one, you could suffer unnecessary complications once school is out. Even if you had a schedule last summer, it’s crucial to review it and make sure it still meets your and your child’s needs.
Does the schedule need to change over the summer?
Even if you and your co-parent will be working as usual, it may benefit your child to stay for longer stretches with each parent, with fewer changeovers. Some parents move to a schedule of switching every two weeks, for example, rather than every few days or every week.
Older children and teens generally do better with longer stays with each parent than little ones do. Young children can become homesick and anxious if they don’t see a parent for more than a few days – even if they video chat with them daily.
Sometimes, a long-distance parent will take a child for most of the summer to help make up for the lack of time they have with them during the rest of the year. In some cases, parents will “split” the summer in half, with each taking the child for half of their break.
If your child has planned activities for the summer, like going to camp, taking summer school classes, participating in sports or working, it’s crucial to take those into consideration. Maybe they have friends (or a special friend) they don’t want to leave for a long period. If your child is old enough, they typically should weigh in on custody schedule changes.
While you’re at it, this is the best time to determine whether one or both of you wants to plan any travel with your child – separately or maybe even together. That may mean getting written permission if you’re going out of state or more than a designated distance.
Are child support changes necessary?
If your and your co-parent’s division of parenting time will be significantly different than usual, you need to consider how your child support order (if you have one) needs to change. That too should be codified. A verbal agreement alone can result in complications.
If you’re putting modified child custody and support agreements in place for the summer, don’t underestimate the importance of making sure they’re legally valid and clear. Having your own legal representation can help you avoid confusion and conflict and help ensure that your child looks back fondly on this summer.