Summer is supposed to be a time of fun and relaxation. Sometimes, however, summer can be a time of stress and conflict for a co-parent. If you are a co-parent, with a little planning and thoughtfulness, summer can still mean fun for you and your family.
First, read your orders and decree. There may be deadlines you must meet in order to have the time you want. Also, schedules often alternate in odd vs. even years. You would not want to lose time to which you are entitled because you simply forgot to claim it on time. Do not forget to put the information in writing to your co-parent if it is required by the orders and decree.
Next, provide your co-parent with information as early as possible. Whether you have a deadline or not to claim certain time, providing the information as soon as possible is a simple courtesy that can go a long way. Besides, opening the conversation early with your co-parent may raise important information regarding your child. For instance, while communicating about vacation, you and your co-parent may have an important conversation about your child’s grades. Maybe in the course of the conversation, you and your co-parent realize that your child’s reading skills are lacking and she should take summer school which would affect both of your summer time with her. Knowing this well in advance will help you two to accommodate summer school and vacations with both co-parents.
Most important, be flexible. Yes, if you and your co-parent cannot be flexible, you can always fall back on your orders and decree. Yet, it certainly would be better if you knew you did not have to worry about following the orders and decree to the letter when it works better for your schedule. You do not want to miss a vacation because a work obligation kept you from it at a certain time and your co-parent did not allow you the flexibility to go at another time. Certainly, you should not put your co-parent in the same position.
With a little planning and flexibility, everyone can have a great summer. If your co-parent, in Las Vegas or not, is keeping you from having a great summer, call the attorneys at Pecos Law Group.