In the United States, there are some holidays that get more attention than others because they are seen as more important than others. But if you’re a divorced parent, every holiday is important because it’s another special day on which you get to see your child. And Halloween is no different.
But as this holiday gets closer and closer, some of our readers might be wondering how they will know if they have custody of their child this Halloween. In order to answer this question, you will have to take a look at your parenting plan.
As you may know, your parenting plan covers a number of things, including a time-sharing schedule that should outline who has custody of the child, for how long, and on what holidays. Referring to this may give you a better idea of who will have custody of your child on that night.
But as you may also know, parenting plans can also be as specific or vague as you like in California, meaning your agreement may not have made stipulations about Halloween. If your parenting plan doesn’t, you’re not alone. Because Halloween falls on a different day every year, many parents generally don’t consider including it on the time-sharing schedule. This means they must resort to other ways of handling custody to avoid a dispute.
The best way to resolve a possible custody issue on Halloween is to talk to your former spouse. Express any concerns or desires regarding the holiday, including any compromises for the day such as splitting time or trading for another holiday. By reaching an amicable agreement about custody, divorced parents can ensure that they are doing what is in their child’s best interest.
Source: The Judicial Branch of California, “Parenting Plans,” Accessed Oct. 10, 2014
