Parenting time schedules provide you and your ex-spouse with a guide on how to co-parent after your divorce. Weekends and holidays are often exchange times. The frequency of exchange times is determined by whether you live within a 50- or 100-mile radius of the child’s primary residence.
The guidelines for parenting time are policies that the court relies on to establish the rules for child custody, parenting time, how parents exchange information about children, and how parents communicate.
What Happens When Holiday Falls On The Visitation Weekend?
How Do Holidays Work With 50 50 Custody In Texas?
When a holiday falls on the Monday after or Friday before a scheduled weekend, the parent time will extend through the weekend. Some parents are confused when this happens because there is a holiday schedule that is separate from the weekend schedule.
A non-custodial parent can have parent time or visitation on the first, third, and fifth weekends of the month. The visitation weekend begins on Thursday at 6 p.m. after school and ends on Sunday at 6 p.m. or on Monday morning.
Christmas Break Parent Time
How Do Coparents Split Holidays?
Parent time for the non-custodial parent begins at 6 p.m. on the last day of school before Christmas break begins until 6 p.m. on the day after Christmas. The parent that has custody can have parent time from December 26th from 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. the day before the Christmas break ends. But usually, the parents that have the child on Christmas cannot have the child during Thanksgiving.
Summer Holidays Parent Time
Parenting Time Schedule
A non-custodial parent can spend 30 consecutive days in the summer with the child. Summer holidays start by default from the beginning of July to the end of the month. But the non-custodial parent should notify the other parent on the first day of April about the 30 days they want.
The custodial parent can visit the child on the weekends during the month the other parent has the child, but they must notify the other parent by April 15th. Non-custodial parents that live 100 miles away from their child’s primary residence are awarded 42 days of parent time during the summer.
In this case, the non-custodial parent can have the child from the beginning of April or from June 15th to July 27th. The other parent can visit the child but they must provide a notice.
Christmas Visitation Denial
Texas courts expect parents to collaborate as far as visitation is concerned in the best interests of the child. But in cases where a primary parent denies visitation during Christmas is not uncommon. Police cannot enforce the visitation order, so the best option is to try and resolve the matter with the other parent.
You can take legal action which will result in the other parent being made to appear in court with the child. A court may also find the primary parent in contempt and be fined or jailed. The only problem with legal action is you never know how long the process will take to resolve the matter. Talk to an experienced family law attorney to guide you if you find yourself in this situation.