It’s not too early to plan your summer custody schedule

You might protest that it’s not even spring break for most kiddos. But the reality is that successful summertime co-parenting requires plenty of advance notice about vacations and other summer events.

If this is your first season as a separated family, planning the logistics of often radically different summer custody arrangements can be overwhelming.

Why you need to start early

Depending on your children’s ages, they may play on summer sports teams, have their hearts set on attending camp with their friends or even have part-time jobs to accommodate.

Then, factor in that both parents likely want vacation time with the kids over the summer months. What happens if Dad books the Florida beach condo over the same two weeks that Mom bought nonrefundable plane tickets to New York City? That’s why we recommend beginning the process of planning summer custody arrangements now.

When it’s too raw to communicate

If one spouse left the other for another partner, for example, the other spouse might not be able to emotionally deal with having complex discussions about the summer custody arrangements. There are apps that allow co-parents with less than civil relationships to limit contact and exchange information only about the kids’ needs.

What if you can’t reach an agreement?

If the adults cannot come up with a plan agreeable to both parents that fit the children’s needs, it will be left up to the Georgia family law courts to determine your kids’ summer custody arrangements. It is always prudent to learn all that you can about how Georgia laws can affect your rights to custody in a divorce.