What does Nebraska law say about holiday parenting time?

With the holidays in full swing, people in Nebraska, across the United States and all over the globe will be celebrating with family and friends. It should be a happy time, but family issues can frequently complicate matters. If there has been a divorce and the parents are still trying to come to a consensus on how to handle parenting time and when the custodial and non-custodial parent will have the child, the holidays can lead to discord. This can be emotional and challenging. When going through the process of a divorce, it is important to be aware of the law. Part of that is the holiday parenting time schedule.

The holiday template is based on odd and even years

To ensure each parent has sufficient time with the child during holidays, the courts have implemented an odd-year/even-year template. Since 2021 is an odd-numbered year, the noncustodial parent will have had the child during spring break/Easter; on Thanksgiving; on New Year’s Day; on the child’s birthday; and on July 4.

In general, the holiday time will start at 6:00 p.m. on the last day of school and end at 7:00 p.m. the night before the child is set to go back to school. New Year’s Day parenting time will start at noon Dec. 27 and end at 7:00 p.m. the night before school restarts. For birthdays, it is 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. that day. July 4 will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end 24 hours later. For 2022 – an even-numbered year – the noncustodial parent will have the child for Memorial Day Weekend; Labor Day Weekend; during Christmas/winter break; for Father’s Day or Mother’s Day; and for his or her birthday. The starting times are generally the same as for the other holidays.

Dealing with disputes and coming to arrangements may require legal advice

While parenting time for holidays is relatively clear, that does not mean the parents will be agreeable to it. Problems are common with family law as parents try to find alternatives to these rules. In a best-case scenario, there will be negotiation, trade-offs and an amicable resolution. However, that is not always possible. With parenting time, it can be complicated and difficult with the temptation to make it as tough as possible on the other parent. Before making decisions that could damage the relationships and make the situation worse, it is important to have professional advice to try and find workable solutions for this and other aspects of parenting time.