Smart and civil ways to deal with missed holiday parenting time

 Posted on July 05, 2017 in Child Custody

We begin this post by wishing that our readers had a happy and memorable Fourth of July weekend. The holiday weekend ended with a bang this year on a Tuesday, which meant that many divorced and separated parents were able to split the holiday given that two days occurred during the normal work week.

However, holiday weekends are not immune from misunderstandings and missed (or denied) parenting time. Now that the holiday is over, some real fireworks may begin as wronged parents seek retribution. If you fit into this category, there are a few things to know before seeking a legal remedy. This post will name a few.

Beware of requirements in your order – If you are seeking compensatory parenting time for time that was missed during the holiday, be wary of mediation requirements or other stipulations, such as putting your dispute before a parenting time expeditor or counselor before coming back to court.

Be careful about revenge – While you may be hurt and feel disrespected, seeking revenge by withholding the children for the other parent’s time or threatening physical harm could really backfire.

Know what judges can award – Compensatory time is the primary remedy for missed (or denied) parenting time. Essentially, a wronged parent will be awarded additional time at a later date to make up for the time that was missed or denied. Reimbursements for money spent in preparation for such time are not usually awarded.

Should you have questions about missed parenting time, an experienced family law attorney can help.

The preceding is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.