In a matter of weeks, children all throughout Virginia will don costumes and take to the streets to trick-or-treat with their friends and family members. Halloween is a fun evening for kids but also the start of what many people consider the end-of-year holiday season. Once Halloween is over it is only a few weeks until Thanksgiving, which is then closely followed by Hanukkah and Christmas, and shortly thereafter followed by New Year’s Day.

The holidays can be a special time of year for families but also a time of stress and frustration for those who share their children with their exes. When parents struggle to balance the needs of their kids with their desires to be with their children on the most celebrated days of the year, difficult conversations can occur between former partners. For parents who want to smooth out their custodial differences during the holidays, now is a good time to start.

Parents are generally held to follow the custody plans and schedules that were accepted by their courts when they went through their divorces or settled their custodial differences. However, if they wish to modify those plans or otherwise make changes to them, those requests can take time. Parents who wish to alter their existing custody plans for the holidays may need to take fast action to effectuate those modifications.

Whether the changes they wish to make are permanent or short-term, parents can find legal help through consultations with their trusted family law attorneys. Lawyers who support parents who wish to alter their child custody and parenting plans can provide their clients with relevant and legally sound advice to advance their clients’ unique needs.