The holidays are upon us and it’s time to talk about holiday sharing between parents. The holidays are a special time of family traditions, good cheer, yummy foods and generosity of spirit. Does the same extend to sharing the holidays with children in no longer together families? Not always.

This is why each county has a Court Holiday Schedule that takes all the major holidays and shares them between parents. The goal is not to take the holidays anyway from anyone, but to ensure that both parents get to enjoy at least some portion of the holidays with their children and no one misses out. Is it ideal? No. Is it better than having a fight the day before Thanksgiving over where your child will eat dinner and with which side of the family and upsetting the holiday spirit before it has begun? Yes.

Keep in mind, however, that the Court Holiday Schedule is not a punishment. If the parties can work together to reach an agreement on how to share the holidays that is acceptable to both of them, more likely than not, that is the better way to go. But, in the event of a “tie” so to speak, the Court Holiday Schedule provides a mechanism to resolve the conflict.

In the spirit of the holiday season, let’s work together to ensure that everyone gets to enjoy the meaning of the season with the ones they love.

Julie Burick, Esq. is a seasoned family law attorney who focuses her practice on all aspects of divorce and family law, including Appellate cases and Domestic Violence matters.  If you have an family issue involving holiday parenting time, know that time is of the essence in getting these issues resolved.  Contact our Haddonfield office at 856-428-8334 to schedule a confidential consultation.