Parenting Time in Summertime for Divorcing, Separated, Co-Parents

For children, summertime is the cherished months out of school oftentimes playing sports, spending time at camp, and with their friends. For parents, summertime can create a whole host of problems. Trying to coordinate camps, sports, friends, and family time around a work schedule that doesn’t necessarily change just because it is the summer months when the kids are out of school can prove quite difficult. Now, think of how parenting time in the summer is impacted when parents are divorced (divorcing, co-parenting, or sharing time) with school-aged children. The children are free for the summer, but the parents must not only juggle their individual schedule, but do so with another parent’s schedule in mind.

Parenting time is typically outlined very specifically in an Allocation Judgment that is negotiated, mediated, or litigated to conclusion with entry of the Allocation Judgment by a Judge, making it a court order that must be complied with by both parties. Some of the terms within the Allocation Judgment include parenting time for each parent and decision-making authority. For parenting time, there is typically a routine schedule (when the children are in school) and then there is non-routine parenting time schedule allotted for holidays, special events, school breaks, and summertime. These schedules can and do vary from the routine schedule. For example, in the summer months, parents sometimes request and want additional time or extended periods of time to travel, schedule camps and activities.

When you are working through a paternity or divorce action you want to make sure to thoroughly consider and contemplate what you can do and what is in the best interests of the children during the holidays, special events, school breaks, and summertime months. What time can you set aside? What changes in the regular or routine parenting time schedule will work? Do you have other commitments, such as work that will be a factor? Do you have childcare options, camps or activities? The Chicago divorce lawyers of Ward Family Law, LLC can guide you through the process and discuss your parenting time options.