Christmas is coming in a matter of weeks with lots of things to think about in the meantime. What last minute presents do I need? Who is cooking Christmas dinner? For separated parents another question on their mind is likely to be ‘What is the contact arrangement for the children this Christmas?’
Christmas is an important time of the year for most families and undoubtedly a time that children in particular are excitedly anticipating. It is therefore vitally important for families to have arrangements in place so that everyone, particularly the children of the family, know who they will be spending time with over the festive period.
There is no strict formula to follow as to how contact during the festive period is divided; this is up to you, there is no one size fits all. It could be that Christmas Day alternates every year with each parent taking their turn to have the children, or Christmas Day could be shared with handover later in the day. However, a tip that we can give is to plan ahead and have discussions now to provide children with certainty and structure leading up to the festive period. Once an agreement has been reached, it is advised to put this in writing. This avoids confusion and clarifies exactly what is happening during the festive period. This could be done with a co-parenting app such as My Family Wizard or AppClose, with dates being placed into a jointly available calendar.
If it is proving difficult to agree an arrangement with the other parent, then it is advised that you consult a family solicitor. This is one of the primary reasons why we advise separated parents to have these discissions as early as possible. As family solicitors we are able to discuss the situation with you and make suggestions where appropriate when an agreement cannot be reached. We can then enter into negotiations with the other parent to reach an agreement as to the contact arrangements.
However, if the other parent continues their stance and won’t agree with our suggested proposals then a referral to mediation would be recommended. Mediation is a form of Non-Court Dispute Resolution (NCDR) which is pushed heavily by the Courts. An application to Court to resolve the issue of contact arrangements cannot be made without first attempting (NCDR).
If you have had early discussions with the other parent and you are struggling to reach an agreement then please do not hesitate to contact our Family Department to discuss matters further.
Contact our Family team on 0191 384 2441 or fill in our simple enquiry form on our website
