For many students in the Houston area, spring break is essentially just around the corner. Depending on the age of the children, this could mean family vacations to Galveston or to New Orleans, or staycations where kids just enjoy the time off by sleeping in late and playing with friends. For newly divorced parents and those who have been separated for a while, making plans for spring break can be difficult.
There may be lingering tensions from the holiday season, or a parent may be unwilling to provide some additional support to fund a spring break trip. When they occur, frustrated parents may want to have court intervention to have their issues addressed. This may take significant time and resources, thus making it an unfavorable course of action.
With that, there are some practical ways to avoid spring break dilemmas.
Be diplomatic – Indeed, this may be easier said than done, especially if your ex-spouse is difficult to get along with. Nevertheless, if the matter must go before a family court judge, it is helpful to have a clear record of attempts to negotiate an amicable solution.
Avoid using children as pawns – For parents who have teenage children, kids relish the chance to play parents against each other to get what they want. So if a custodial parent does not want to let a child go to Galveston beach for spring break, the non-custodial parent should support such a decision and avoid using the child’s feelings as a weapon against the other parent.
In light of these suggestions, if there are issues where a parent is violating a court order, an experienced family law attorney can help.
Source: FoxNews.com “5 ways to save on a spring break vacation,” Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Feb. 12, 2014
