Legal Questions & Answers: Parenting Time & Child Visitation During the Holidays

In the “Legal Questions” section of South Jersey Magazine (November 2015 – Volume 12, Issue 8), Camden County family law attorney Howard Mendelson offers advice for how divorcing spouses in NJ should handle parenting time and child visitation during the holidays.

Question: With the holidays fast approaching, how do our courts in New Jersey address divorcing parents’ celebration of holidays and birthdays with their children after they’re divorced?

Answer: Ideally, divorcing spouses reach agreements regarding the sharing/alternating of holidays and birthdays. If the parties are unable to do so, our courts provide divorcing parents a court-approved holiday parenting time schedule. This court-approved holiday parenting time schedule will be adopted by the court unless either party demonstrates “good cause” for deviating therefrom; prior practices, religious holidays, etc.