Divorce Tips For Parents in the Spring

Late February through March tend to be the time of year when parents take a minute and catch their breath.  As a mom when my kids were in grade school through high school after Valentine’s Day there was a feeling of ‘we made it!’ with school.  We made it through the crazy end of semester and Christmas time, start to the new semester and then Valentine’s Day.

To the parent going through divorce it’s the time to start thinking about the next season.  As a divorce attorney, I’d say the divorce tips in today’s post are for you the divorced parents or parents going through divorce right now.  This is the time to start thinking and planning for upcoming decisions and notices to be made according to your possession schedule, divorce decree, and any temporary orders, if your divorce is pending.

Spring Break Divorce Tip

First up on your list is Spring Break.  Now is the time to take some steps to figure out what the plan is for your kids and Spring Break for this year.  Take a few minutes and pull out your divorce decree or temporary orders to refresh yourself on the basics of your court ordered plan for spring break this year.  Some commonly used plans and scheduling orders for spring break include alternating spring breaks or splitting the week between the parents.  And, your orders may differ from those spring break options and be specific to your case.  So, your first step is to read through your court orders for your case.

Next, go to your child’s school calendar and figure out when spring break is scheduled for this year.  Spring break can vary from year to year.  So, it’s always best to check with the school calendar.

Now that you know the information needed for planning for this year, you know what your next step is.  You either have to start planning for this spring break or you don’t.

But, there is one more alternative, if you and the other parent have been able to agree to possession periods and holidays recently, and if you as parents aren’t using the possession schedule in your court orders then you may have to start the conversation with the other parent to see if you both are in agreement to a schedule for this spring break.  Your court order likely contains language that says that if you and the other parent can agree to a possession schedule then you don’t have to use the court ordered schedule for possession times for your child or children.  Now is the time to find out if you all are still able to reach an agreement or if you aren’t.

Summer Notice in Divorce

The next tip is that it is time to start thinking about your summer possession.  This tip applies regardless of whether you’re the managing conservator or the possessory conservator.  Again, my favorite divorce tip applies.  If you’ve read many of my posts on here, you know my favorite divorce tip is to review your court orders.  Review your court orders whether you have a final divorce decree, an agreed final divorce decree, temporary orders, or agreed temporary orders.  Your current court orders are the place to start.

It’s dreary and gray outside, but summer (at least your summer notice requirements and deadline) is not too far off.  And, you have to have some plans in place in order to meet your deadlines.  Check out your decree and put some reminders on your calendar so that you won’t miss any deadlines and you can start planning.  Work your plan and have the summer that you want.  Avoid a frantic call to a divorce attorney’s office because you’ve missed the notice deadline and have an issue that you and your ex or soon-to-be ex can’t work through because of that missed deadline.

These divorce tips are meant to educate you and inform you.  The divorce tips aren’t legal advice and don’t take the place of securing a divorce attorney to represent you and advise you specifically for your case.

Call the office today if you’d like advice for your divorce from local experienced divorce attorney, Jill O’Connell: in Lewisville, call: 972-203-6644.