713-333-4430Holiday Visitation Issues to Deal With This Season
As someone who shares custody with your ex, you’re used to dealing with a variety of situations that come up. You’re just trying to make it work in the best way possible for the sake of your children. However, now that the holidays are fast approaching, you know you’ll need to deal with some visitation issues this season.
Boudreaux Hunter & Associates, LLC in Houston, Texas are certified in mediation, take a collaborative approach with their clients to ensure their clients reach solutions that work for their families, and are devoted entirely to the practice of family law. We are fierce advocates for our clients and we’d be happy to assist you with holiday visitation issues you may be facing. Reach out to us today for an initial consultation.
How Visitation Works Around the Holidays
In Texas, there are specific rules that exist around child custody and the holiday season and vacation breaks.
When it comes to Thanksgiving, one parent will have visitation starting at 6 p.m. on the day that school dismisses for Thanksgiving break. That visitation will last until 6 p.m. on the Sunday after Thanksgiving is over. If one parent gets the child for Thanksgiving, then the other will get them for Christmas that year.
Like other states, Texas splits up Christmas break evenly between the parents. One parent will be able to spend time with the child starting at 6 p.m. on the last day the child is in school prior to the break, until noon on December 28th. Then, the other parent will have visitation from noon on December 28th until 6 p.m. the day before the Christmas break is over. This schedule will altenate every year to ensure that each parent gets to make Christmas memories with their child.
Problems That Could Arise During the Holiday Season
The holiday season is an emotional time. It’s when people get together with their families and create warm memories that will last a lifetime. Each parent is likely going to want to spend time with their children during the holidays, especially Christmas. They may be aggressive about trying to get to spend more time with their kids throughout the season.
Other family members, like grandparents, could get involved and cause problems. They may believe that a custody agreement is not fair and will act hostile towards the other parent.
Even though it’s very challenging to deal with custody, especially during the holidays, it’s also important to be levelheaded and work with your children’s other parent to reach an amicable agreement.
Working Out Issues With the Other Parent
First, it’s critical that you always keep to your holiday visitation agreement and follow the law. This applies even if you don’t like the agreement or believe that you could work out something better. If you don’t follow what the agreement or orders say, then you could potentially lose custody of your children or not get to spend as much time with them. The court does not look favorably upon parents who break agreements or violate court orders.
It’s also critical to anticipate any issues that may come up ahead of time, which means that it’s best to incorporate holidays into your initial visitation agreement. The court is going to try to be as fair as possible based on the information it’s given and act in the best interests of the child. Even if you don’t like your ex, you have to think about the relationship they have with your child. It’s always better if a child has two loving, healthy parents in their lives. Being around each parent during the holidays will strengthen their relationships with the both of you.
You’ll also need to make arrangements for picking up and dropping your child off from visits with the other parent. Make sure you can be at the drop off/pick up spot at the right time and that if you’re running late, you alert the other parent immediately.
If any disputes arise, try to be as friendly as possible with your ex. If you threaten them or are otherwise hostile, this could reflect poorly on you in court. Always keep your cool, no matter how hard it is.
It’s best to reach out to your family lawyer if any issues come up. They can help you try to change your agreement if need be and file for a hearing in court. It’s best to get in touch with them way in advance because during the holidays, the courts are going to have restricted hours. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late and then be frustrated if you can’t spend as much time with your children as you wanted this season.
General Tips for the Holidays
When planning for the holidays, it’s a good idea to be in touch with your ex about activities they are going to do with the children as well as presents they’re going to purchase. You want to make sure that the children have as much fun as possible and don’t receive the same gifts twice.
Another idea is to ask your child if they want to make a card or buy a present for the other parent. This is going to show that you want them to have a strong relationship with the other parent and that there are no bad feelings between you and your ex.
If you and your ex get along well, you may consider doing something together with your children during the holidays. As long as there isn’t any animosity between you both or between family members, then this could be a very positive experience for your child.
Contact Boudreaux Hunter & Associates, LLC
If you need help with holiday visitation issues that come up, you can reach out to Boudreaux Hunter & Associates, LLC for help. We’ll work hard on your child custody and visitation agreement and be your source of support in your time of need. Make sure you get in touch online or by calling us at (713) 333-4430. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Shannon L. Boudreaux is a passionate advocate for her clients, working on their behalf to help them reshape their lives, their families, and their futures. For two decades, she has helped reunite parents with their children and helped clients negotiate contentious custody disputes. Learn more here.
