Over the summer months, it may be necessary to make changes to your child custody schedule. In some cases, you may just need to communicate with your coparent about temporary alterations. In other cases, you may need to request an official custody modification from the court.
Why is the summer different than the school year? Much of it just has to do with the children’s schedule. They have far more free time over the summer, but that can change parental obligations and schedules substantially.
Temporary changes
For instance, perhaps your child wants to go to summer camp for two weeks, but you and your coparent typically exchange custody every three to four days. You should not just send your child to camp and violate your ex’s custody rights by failing to make the proper exchange. You need to communicate about these things in advance so everyone knows what to expect.
Similarly, you may be interested in taking your children on vacation or using paid time off over the summer. Once again, communication is critical. Do not just take your children with you on the trip and violate the existing custody order.
Childcare changes
Another thing to consider is that childcare can be much different. Even though children get the summer off, parents often still have to work.
To get through until the start of the next school year, some parents use babysitters, daycare or send the children to their grandparents. But you and your ex may need to have a conversation about who is legally allowed to watch the children or take responsibility for them. If you both have legal custody rights, for instance, you may have to make joint decisions when it comes to babysitters or daycare.
This helps demonstrate how the summer can be complex for coparents and why it is so important for them to understand all of their custody rights.
