How Do Co-Parents Split Vacation Time With Their Child in Wisconsin?

 Posted on May 28, 2024 in Divorce

Some couples who get divorced plan for the divorce process, but not all couples plan for life after divorce. For parents, one of the hardest things to adjust to in post-divorce life is how to co-parent a child together. They need to decide certain issues like:

• How they will make decisions about the child

• How they will support the child

• How to divide physical custody, or what Wisconsin law calls “placement” 

• How to schedule child placement during vacation 

To help parents and their children better plan for life after divorce, parents who want to dissolve their marriage usually must submit a parenting plan to the court. Parenting plans are legally binding documents that have long-term consequences, so they should be drafted with the help of an experienced family lawyer.

What Is a Parenting Plan?

A parenting plan is a plan that details how parents will co-parent a child. According to Wisconsin law, such details should include:

• How physical custody or placement will be divided

• Child placement schedules

• Expected child-related expenses

• Where the child will attend school

• Decisions about the child’s religious upbringing

• How the parents will resolve disagreements

• How the parents will divide the holidays with the child

• The child’s summer schedule

If the parents do not agree on a parenting plan, the court will make one for them.

How Are Vacations Divided?

Your parenting plan will contain details about how summer and holiday vacations with the child must be split between the parents. Some common plans include:

• Alternating years: Parent A spends the entire summer vacation with the child, and swaps with Parent B the following year.

• 50/50: The parents divide each holiday and vacation in half.

• Fixed holidays: Each parent spends certain holidays and vacations with the child each year.

If co-parents agree on a holiday placement schedule, a court will generally approve it unless it somehow endangers the child’s well-being.

Can I Change the Placement Schedule?

If you want to change the placement schedule and your co-parent agrees, you should notify the court of your proposed change. The court will likely approve it unless it presents some threat to the child. If your co-parent does not agree, you will need to petition the court to modify the parenting plan. Courts are reluctant to make changes to the plan unless it is in the child’s best interest, so an attorney should be consulted about how to request the modification.

Contact a Rock County, WI Child Custody Attorney

There are a variety of placement schedules you can have with your child, but once it is approved by the court, a schedule is not easy to change. Furthermore, parents who get divorced sometimes are unsure which placement schedule might be best for them and their child. That is why hiring the right Madison, Wisconsin child custody lawyer is the best move if you are a parent and considering divorce.

At John T. Fields & Associates, LLC, we are highly familiar with parenting plans and how different parents cope with different placement schedules. Bring us your case and we will fight for a parenting plan that serves your and your child’s best interests. Call 608-729-3590 to start your parenting plan and schedule a consultation today.