Should Halloween Go In A Custody Agreement?
Halloween is just around the corner. And even though trick or treating is a little up in the air right now (ok, a lot up in the air), chances are you’re still planning to do something special with the kids. Like most parents, this year has caused children to miss out on a lot of things and the fun and creativity that comes with Halloween is one thing that parents are trying to capture in a safe way.
For divorced couples, planning for Halloween might not have been on your radar when wading through things like how to split property and who gets the kids on traditional holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. But more and more parents are discovering that the devil is in the details, so to speak. Halloween offers families the opportunity to make memories and have some fun together. If you’re divorced and share custody, considering divorce, or in the process, then it’s highly likely that you would like to be a part of your child’s Halloween memories.
One of the trickiest things about planning for Halloween is that it always falls on a different day of the year. Because of this unpredictability it’s often the case that Halloween falls on a day when a person might already have custody and their ex wants the children.
Creating a general plan well in advance of Halloween is the best way to save everyone from the headache that comes with navigating holidays between two parents.
When negotiating a Halloween schedule, here are some things to consider:
- Altering your pick-up or drop-off schedule to work with neighborhood trick-or-treating schedules
- Determine who takes the kids trick-or-treating (due to short windows of time, it might be best to have both parents go if possible)
- Selecting in advance who will choose costumes and where trick-or-treating will take place
When working on child custody agreements, every possible scenario needs to be examined. And while this isn’t always possible, the help of a good lawyer should help navigate some of these tricky situations.
We know of a case where a couple spent well over $1,000 arguing over Halloween arrangements because a couple couldn’t agree on who got the children (it was complicated by an existing visitation schedule).
Don’t waste $1,000+ on lawyer fees arguing about a holiday. Our New Hampshire family lawyers always encourage families to try to work things our fairly and amicably. If that doesn’t work out, then try to get lawyers involved and work toward quick resolution for everyone.
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