Immediately following your divorce in Columbus, it can be difficult for you, your ex-spouse and especially your kids to become acclimated to your new custody situation. Yet eventually things settle in and life goes on. Then summer comes and you want to take the kids away for an extended vacation. Your ex-spouse wants to do the same, and now each of your plans are threatening to disrupt your already fragile custody schedule. Many in this same position come to us here at The Law Offices of Saia, Marrocco & Jensen Inc. Inc. wondering if the courts are the ones who determine which divorced parent gets to do what during the summer. The answer depends on where you live.
Many counties in Ohio do indeed have set parenting time schedules that stipulate how custodial time is divided during the kids’ summer break. Franklin County, however, does not. It is left to you and your ex-spouse to come up with the details of your parenting time schedule. Thus, how summer vacations (as well as holidays, birthdays and other breaks from school) will be dealt with should be included in your plan. Keep in mind that the court will still need to approve your plan, so whatever you come up with should be equitable.
The website for the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas offers some examples of how you and your ex-spouse can divide custody time during summer break. These include:
- Rotating custody every two weeks
- You getting custody the first half of the summer, and your ex-spouse the second half
- Maintaining your current schedule, but allowing for an uninterrupted two-week custody period to each during the summer
Any of these scenarios should offer ample time for a family vacation. You can discover more about managing child custody issues by continuing to browse our site.
