Resolving Parenting Time Disputes, Revisited

Halloween will be here sooner than you think. If you have become numb from seeing Halloween decorations and costumes since Labor Day, chances are that your children have not. Nevertheless annual night of haunts and delights should be a night to remember for your kids, but it may not be remembered for the right reasons if you and your ex cannot decide on who will take them trick-or-treating.

There are a number of situations where parents may try to stick to their guns and keep a child from spending time with the other parent because of a quirk in their schedule or because Halloween falls on their day for parenting time. While this may be so, holidays are about allowing children to spend time with both parents. With the holiday season upcoming, parents should get used to this theme. 

In the meantime, this post provides three ways parents can resolve Halloween parenting time disputes.

Mediation – For the uninitiated, this where a third party neutral listens to both parties and negotiates a compromise that will benefit both parties. There is also a special emphasis on tailoring a solution that works in the child’s best interests; so there is no exact “winner” or “loser” in mediation.

Parenting Time Expeditor – These consultants, usually appointed by the court, can address a number of disputes emanating from ambiguous terms in a parenting time order. Depending on how the order is written, a PTE’s decision may stand in lieu of a family court judge’s decision.

Motion – A formal, written request to the court to modify an existing parenting time schedule to allow for holiday parenting time, especially if a particular holiday is not previously addressed.

If you have questions about resolving Halloween parenting time disputes, an experienced family law attorney can help.