by Attorney Eric D. PuryearThe holidays can be a wonderful time to spend with loved ones, yet it can also be one of the more difficult times for those with family law issues. Properly addressing such problems can help keep the holidays enjoyable.
Why family law problems are more common during the holidays
The holidays can be “the most wonderful time of the year” in some ways, but in other ways they can be the most stressful. Many people spend a good deal of time traveling during the holidays, which can be aggravating. The holiday season can be expensive, causing more stress in people’s lives. Combine those facts with a situation where parents who have separated both wish to spend time on the holidays (e.g. Christmas day) with a child, it is a recipe for disagreement or worse.
Common family law problems during the holiday season
- Visitation interference
- Disputes over payment (or non-payment) of child support
- Arguing through facebook or text messages
- Parental kidnapping
- False Iowa DHS or Illinois DCFS child abuse accusations made by an ex
What to do about family law problems during the holidays
The best solution to any family law dispute is to have a court order that clearly sets forth each parent’s rights and responsibilities, and to obtain that court order before there is disagreement. Since we don’t live in a perfect world, it is often not possible to work out everything in advance so as to avoid disputes during the holidays. In such cases, the next best thing to do is to put the child’s needs and best interests first during any disputes that take place on a holiday, and then contact an attorney to discuss how to address the problem so that it doesn’t happen again.