Handling Family Law Challenges During the Holidays
Family law issues often escalate during the holidays. Especially if you are in the midst of a divorce and your idea of “normal” is already up in the air. The holidays bring schedule changes, out-of-the-ordinary travel plans, and high emotion as some will not have access to their loved ones. Breaks from school, family visits, and traditions all need to be accounted for within a new framework that may not be well hashed out yet. Navigating all this newness can be emotional, and even small disagreements might be magnified.
There are things you can do to help ease or avoid potential tensions surrounding child custody or visitation issues during the holidays. Having experienced legal counsel on your side can help you build in solutions that protect your rights and help you navigate through holiday seasons with less stress. Contact our office to discuss real solutions with experienced legal counsel. Below are some of our top no-nonsense ways to help ease your way through the holidays in the midst of divorce.
Why Do Holidays Make Family Law Issues More Complicated?
To guard against issues that creep up down the line, it helps to understand why tensions might arise in the first place.
Emotions run high during the holidays, and in the midst of divorce, you might be dealing with several items for the first time. This might include:
- Scheduling Conflicts: As parents, you may have competing plans and limited flexibility. Existing orders may not provide guidance on how to proceed.
- Out-of-State or International Travel: the holidays might be the first time a parent has to deal with another parent’s desire to take the children out of California without them.
- Extended Family Involvement: Grandparents or other relatives may expect to see your children over the holidays, creating additional demands on limited time.
- Emotional Strain: The holidays can bring up unresolved feelings related to separation or divorce, making discussions about time-sharing more tense.
Strategies for High-Tension Holiday Situations
Recognizing early signs of tension and having likely points of tension in mind can help you plan ahead and have a strategy in place to help prevent situations from escalating.
- Stay Focused on Your Child: Remember that the most important thing in all of this is for your child to have a good experience. Children can sense when all is not well. Keeping your focus on the children and what will be best for them can help parents to keep their minds off their own personal hurts or struggles, and keep the time as conflict-free as possible.
- Set Clear Boundaries for Communication: There are many ways to communicate. If direct communication leads to arguments, utilize a less direct way to express what is needed. If the conversation begins to become too emotional, you can always revisit it at a later point in time.
- Embrace New Holiday Traditions: The family structure has changed. It is ok to change along with it. And this is probably going to be necessary anyway, as you are going from a two-parent household to a co-parenting relationship.
- Plan for Flexibility: Even with the best preparation, you cannot anticipate every wrinkle life throws your way. Showing a willingness to cooperate and be flexible can be very beneficial.
Complications are common over the holidays. Having a clear plan in place and a good understanding of your legal rights can help you to avoid disputes and handle what does pop up with confidence and grace. When disagreements do come up, your legal team can help.
Contact the Law Office of Bradley S. Sandler
For help in your own divorce case, contact the exceptional legal team and experienced divorce attorney at the Law Office of Bradley S. Sandler.
Sources
https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/criminal-defense/do-domestic-abuse-rates-rise-over-the-holidays/