Whether you are on the cusp of finalizing your divorce or you have been divorced for a while now, if you have children, you know that figuring out custody plans that meet your needs and meet all Pennsylvania family law requirements can be a challenge. You may find that certain times of the year, you’ll want to change things up in your custody agreement. For example, school schedule custody needs may be different than summertime custody needs.
The school year is quickly coming to a close. Given the time of year, you want to make summer plans with your children, but the custody agreement you’ve reached may not work for your summertime plans. What can you do?
Fail to plan, plan to fail
Divorced parents often do their best to stick to a custody agreement as written. It seems fair that way, helps avoid conflict and gives children a structured and expected schedule. Parents can include a plan for summers and other holidays in their original custody agreement. This way, each parent knows what to expect during those special times and can try and work things around their scheduled time with their children.
It would be nice if life could always fit that plan, but sometimes adjustments — even temporary ones — need to be made. If you want to take your kids on a surprise trip and the only time you can get away from your responsibilities is during your ex’s time with the children, talk it out. Make a plan, switch things around if you can.
Communication is key
At the end of the day, when it comes to child custody, communication is key. You do not have to get along with your ex after divorce, but if you share children, you do need to be able to communicate with each other to figure out custody issues that will, inevitably, arise. Good communication can prevent misunderstandings that could result in having to return to court.
Permanent change if wanted
If you have a current custody plan in place but failed to consider summertime plans, it is possible to seek a custody order modification so that every summer you are not left scrambling to figure things out. An experienced family law attorney can help you whether you are just starting the divorce process and trying to figure out a custody plan or are a parent in need of a custody modification.
