Do you have your Christmas Plan in Place? It is that time of the year where the Christmas decorations have been in store over a month and the social calendar is booking up fast. Now is also the time to have a conversation with your former spouse as to when the children will spend time with both families over Christmas if you do not have existing Court Orders in place.
Having the conversation now gives you both time to consider your options, consult with your extended family to see if the children will also be able to see them over the holiday period or if other arrangements will need to be made. You also have enough time between now and Christmas to continue negotiations if there isn’t an agreement straight away.
When talking to your former spouse about Christmas time, also consider these five things:
How long it will take to travel between celebrations on Christmas Day. It is unlikely the children want to spend most of Christmas Day in the car.
Allow extra time to travel with increased holiday traffic on the roads and double demerits will be in place.
Try and balance both sets of family traditions where possible. It is the specific family traditions that make long lasting Christmas memories for the children.
How long you and your spouse will have off over Christmas and how much leave you will need to take over the break.
Most NSW Public schools close for Christmas on the 20 December 2019. The time between the end of school and Christmas Eve may be used to see other family members outside of the traditional holiday period.
If you need some help in coming up with an outside of the box arrangement for the children to spend time with you and the other parent or some assistance with negotiating with your former spouse please call Alison Neville at Blackwell Short on (02) 6393 9200 or email AlisonN@blackwellshort.com.au to make an appointment to discuss your matter with our experienced family law team.