With the school year coming to an end and the beginning of summer here, it’s a good time to pull out your parenting plan and review your summer time-sharing agreement. Since every parenting plan is tailored to each individual family’s circumstances, it’s important to confirm whether you are doing a new time-sharing schedule for the summer or simply keeping the same schedule as during the school year.

Given the great deal of planning and coordinating that is often involved with summer breaks, many parenting plans include a separate section that specifically addresses summer time-sharing and vacations. Some plans may include defined schedules to be followed during the break, while others may actually include specific language that the parties agree to be more flexible during the summer to accommodate summer activities, camps, and vacations. With advanced planning, communication and cooperation, the summer can be much easier and smoother for everyone involved.

Whether you are maintaining the status quo or shifting to an entirely new time-sharing arrangement for the summer, if you and your former spouse can’t effectively co-parent, your parenting plan can serve as the default plan to follow. It may answer questions such as who pays what portion of summer activities and camps, which parent’s vacation requests take priority, what notices are required before taking those summer trips, and who is entitled to keep the children’s passports.

Of course, if you have any specific questions regarding your parenting plan and summer time-sharing schedule, it’s a good idea to seek legal advice.