Holidays can be hard for families with divorce. At Phinney Estate Law we help families end their marriages with non-litigated alternatives such as collaborative law, mediation, and other unbundled support for reaching settlement. Whenever those divorces involve children the families need to determine how they will spend the holidays. People relying on courts to make those choices for them will get a clean and somewhat arbitrary schedule. People who make their own plans and can supplement that schedule to include the option of spending time together.
Spending the actual holiday together may be a lofting goal and one that can be achieved in the long run. (Weddings and holidays in our extended family often include some ex-spouses.) But it can be a little much when feelings are still raw or when spending time with new partners is too uncomfortable. Spending the holidays apart is probably better than spending them together and fighting. Something that might be easier to pull off and without discomfort or spite is a holiday outing on neutral ground. Woodlawn Park Zoo's Wild Lights Festival would be a good option for such an outing. Relatively short in duration, festive, fun, lots of distracting things to look at and do so less pressure for chit chat than a dinner, and not so family focuses that in-laws and new partners would feel slighted to be left out.
Other ideas that work for you family that you would like to share? Let us know we are always looking for ideas that can help newly divided families co-parent in positive ways.
Hoping to handle your divorce is a way that will maximize your chances of working well as family after the marriage ends? We highly recommend exploring the various options for doing so that don't involve litigation fights and court imposed decisions. Call us to schedule a free consultation to learn more about those options and find one that works best for your unique case. Tel. 206-459-1908 or [email protected].
Spending the actual holiday together may be a lofting goal and one that can be achieved in the long run. (Weddings and holidays in our extended family often include some ex-spouses.) But it can be a little much when feelings are still raw or when spending time with new partners is too uncomfortable. Spending the holidays apart is probably better than spending them together and fighting. Something that might be easier to pull off and without discomfort or spite is a holiday outing on neutral ground. Woodlawn Park Zoo's Wild Lights Festival would be a good option for such an outing. Relatively short in duration, festive, fun, lots of distracting things to look at and do so less pressure for chit chat than a dinner, and not so family focuses that in-laws and new partners would feel slighted to be left out.
Other ideas that work for you family that you would like to share? Let us know we are always looking for ideas that can help newly divided families co-parent in positive ways.
Hoping to handle your divorce is a way that will maximize your chances of working well as family after the marriage ends? We highly recommend exploring the various options for doing so that don't involve litigation fights and court imposed decisions. Call us to schedule a free consultation to learn more about those options and find one that works best for your unique case. Tel. 206-459-1908 or [email protected].
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