How Summer Break Affects Your Florida Parenting Plan

Summer break can be one of the more disruptive times for co-parenting families in Florida. School schedules disappear, camps and vacations shift daily routines, and the parenting plan that worked fine during the school year suddenly needs a second look. Does your current plan actually address summer? If not, now is a good time to find out.

Why Summer Requires Its Own Time-Sharing Provisions

Florida Statute 61.13 requires every parenting plan to include a time-sharing schedule that specifies when a child will be with each parent, and that includes school breaks and summer vacation. A plan that only accounts for a typical week during the school year often falls short once summer arrives, since work schedules, travel, and childcare needs tend to look completely different for a few months.

Have you and the other parent talked about how summer will work this year? Some families split the summer into blocks, others rotate weeks, and some simply extend the regular schedule with added vacation time built in. There is no single formula the law requires. What matters most is that the arrangement is specific enough that both parents know exactly what to expect.

Common Summer Conflicts Worth Planning For

Vacation notice requirements are one of the most frequent sources of summer disputes. Many parenting plans require written notice, sometimes 30 or 60 days in advance, before a parent can take a child out of town. Missing that deadline, even with good intentions, can create unnecessary conflict.

Extracurricular activities, camp costs, and travel expenses also tend to surface as summer approaches. Who decides which camp a child attends? Who pays for it? These questions are easier to answer before summer starts than in the middle of a scheduling disagreement.

When It May Be Time to Revisit Your Parenting Plan

If your parenting plan does not address summer clearly, or if last year’s summer schedule caused ongoing friction, it may be worth requesting a modification. Florida courts generally require a substantial change in circumstances before an existing plan can be modified, so not every disagreement will qualify. Even so, many families find that clarifying summer provisions now prevents repeated conflict in future years.

Contact a Fort Lauderdale Parenting Plan Attorney Before Summer Arrives

Summer scheduling questions tend to surface every year, and getting ahead of them can spare your family unnecessary stress. Our Fort Lauderdale parenting plan attorneys at the office of Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. help parents review, clarify, and when appropriate, modify their time-sharing arrangements. Discuss your case with our team today.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.13.html