Child arrangements over Christmas

For separated families, making arrangements for the children over the Christmas period can be difficult. Christmas is often a special time for families, and it can be challenging to navigate what arrangements will look like over the festive period post separation.

It is important to ensure when considering Christmas arrangements that the interests of the children come first and that parents cooperate with each other with a view to making child focused arrangements.

There is not a one size fits all approach to making arrangements for children at Christmas as this is dependent on individual family circumstances. Having good communication with the other parent and planning ahead will help avoid tension and allow both parents to voice their wishes and concerns to reach an agreement for Christmas arrangements that is workable for everyone.

There will inevitably be difficult decisions to make about how time with the children is split between both parents over Christmas. There are many options to consider such as one parent celebrating Christmas on a different day, making new Christmas traditions or alternating Christmas arrangements each year. Whatever the arrangement for Christmas looks like it is important that parents stick to the agreed arrangement to promote stability for the children and avoid any unnecessary disruption.

It is the Court’s view that arrangements for children should be made between the parents and should not be brought before the Court unless it becomes absolutely necessary. If parents are unbale to reach an agreement between themselves, they may wish to consider alternative dispute resolution such as mediation where an independent third party mediator will help parents to negotiate to facilitate an agreement. If all options have been taken and agreement cannot be reached parents can make an application to the Court for a child arrangements order to determine the time children spend with both parents.

If you require advice about child arrangements over Christmas or any other family law issues, please do not hesitate to contact the Family team at Rollits.