{"id":8682,"date":"2007-12-18T10:03:28","date_gmt":"2007-12-18T15:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2007\/12\/18\/holiday-hell-week-in-family-court\/"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:53:35","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:53:35","slug":"holiday-hell-week-in-family-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2007\/12\/18\/holiday-hell-week-in-family-court\/","title":{"rendered":"holiday hell week in family court"},"content":{"rendered":"

While I finally attack my Christmas card list, I’m re-publishing a post from one year ago today at shlep<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

ides of december –
\nsanta asks the judge
\nwhere to find the kids<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

……………………………. by dagosan<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"espMazeG\" Holiday spirits are put to the test in mid-December at family courts across the nation, as divorced or separated parents battle over how and where their children spend various portions of the holiday season. While serving as law guardian for many children caught in the middle of such disputes, I saw how often the parents placed their own emotional\/ego needs ahead of the needs of the children \u2014 and<\/em>, how often lawyers made things worse by stoking the yuletide fires. The South Carolina Family Law Blog<\/font><\/a><\/em> has a number of postings that might help to avoid court or to bring out the estranged parents\u2019 better spirits. (via Kansas Family Law Blog<\/font><\/a><\/em>)<\/p>\n

Their Dec. 15, 2006 posting Tips to Help Divorced Parents Avoid Holiday Visitation Issues<\/font><\/a> has some good advice, and is based on this article<\/font><\/a> by Dr. Ruth Peters, which covers keeping it civil, accommodating schedules, coordinating gifts, respecting each others\u2019 religious traditions, and more. The posting Ten Tips to Minimize Divorce Trauma During the Holidays<\/font><\/a> is also worth reading by parents and<\/em>, if they have them, their lawyers. [via California Divorce and Family Law<\/font><\/a> weblog] You can find a link to an article on Holiday Blended Families issues, here<\/font><\/a>. I suggest you wait until after the holidays to deal with Tax Deductions and Non-Custodial Parents<\/font><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Christmas Day
\nthe exchange
\nof custody<\/p>\n

<\/font>\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.. John Stevenson<\/strong><\/font><\/a><\/font><\/span><\/font> – from <\/font>Some of the Silence<\/strong><\/font><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n
<\/blockquote>\n

from Mom\u2019s to Dad\u2019s
\nthe clickity-clack
\nof suitcase wheels<\/font><\/p>\n

. . . . by alice frampton<\/font><\/a> – New Resonance 3<\/em>: Emerging Voices (2003)<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Family Advocate<\/font><\/a><\/em> magazine, from the ABA\u2019s Family Law Section, often has excellent materials on parenting after divorce and finding alternatives to ugly divorces. Many editions are turned into Client Manuals. For example, check out:<\/p>\n