The holidays are here and you can’t agree with your ex over where your kids will be spending Christmas. Worse, you don’t have an agreement or court order in place. Emotions are running high and communication is bad. What do you do?
Tip #1 - Keep your emotions in check. Strong feelings don’t make you “right” and your ex “wrong."
Tip #2 - Try to keep things in perspective. Are you prepared to go to court because she wants Christmas Day instead of Christmas Eve? Are you prepared to spend thousands arguing over a scheduling issue with no guarantee that you’ll prevail? Try and talk it out with your ex. Don’t make that conversation about what you want, but rather what’s in the best interest of your children. That’s what a court will do, if you end up there.
Tip #3 - Consider paying for a divorce attorney’s time so you can get some advice before deciding how to proceed. It may be worth an hour with a professional to help resolve the issue, at least in your mind. Having the clarity of an outside perspective can, and often does, help get through holidays with a minimum level of stress.
Tip #4 - If there really is a serious problem, don’t try to handle it alone. An example of serious problems might be: the ex is taking your child out of the country without your permission or won’t tell you where they will be for New Year’s Eve. In those circumstances, don’t hesitate to get a family attorney who knows what they are doing and will act quickly to resolve the issue.
