Contact with my children in the school holidays and on special occasions

School holidays, special occasions and festive celebrations are often an opportunity to spend quality time with your children. However, if you are separated from the other parent, you might have difficulty coming to an agreement about how the time is spent. If you do not have a court order in place or agreement in place, it is important to start planning early for holiday contact, so that if any disagreements arise, you have enough time to resolve this.

When deciding on the arrangements, the focus should be on what is in your children's best interest. In many circumstances, your children are likely to want to spend quality time with both their parents during these periods. It's therefore important that as parents, you work together and maintain open communication with a willingness to compromise to navigate the holiday periods. This will ultimately help create a more amicable co-parenting relationship which will benefit your children. There is no set formula as to how the holidays should be divided, but it is important that however the time is spent, it is what is best for your children.

Do I need permission to take my child on holiday abroad?

If one parent wants to take the children abroad at any time of the year, they will need consent from the other parent with parental responsibility, unless they have a specific Child Arrangements Order in place. It’s preferable to get this consent in writing from every person who holds parental responsibility for the children to avoid any difficulties.

The parent taking the child on holiday should provide the other parent with details of where they are going, where they will be staying, and how they can be contacted in an emergency. It is also advisable to share the dates and times of travel.

What if I cannot agree with my ex-partner about holiday arrangements for my children?

If you cannot agree on the arrangements, then our solicitors will help you come to an agreement with your ex-partner. If you are still not able to reach an agreement, then you may need to make an application to the family court. The court will look at the circumstances of the case, prioritising your children's welfare and base any decisions on what is in their best interest.

Our family solicitors have considerable experience helping individuals navigate the complex and challenging area of child arrangements. To speak to a member of our family team, please do get in touch.