Taking a Break February 2026

Taking a Break:  Navigating School Vacations While Going Through a Divorce

By Pamela M. Magnano

          Many families look forward to school vacations for a time when the family can get away and enjoy activities together.  Whether it be skiing in the winter or a trip to see foliage in the fall, time off from school for children is limited and is something that can cause conflict during a divorce.   Often times, couples who begin the litigation process do not think of the holidays until they are too close for the Court to address or at the end of the proceeding.  This can lead to increased conflict as the parents could be denied any meaningful vacation time during the litigation process if they are unable to reach agreements.  In the collaborative process, vacations are something that can be addressed in a private and dignified manner with the assistance of the parties’ parenting coach and attorneys.

In the collaborative process, couples will work together to develop a vacation plan for the children that takes into account the children’s schedules, the parent’s works schedules and prior family traditions.  Therefore, if the family previously enjoyed an end of summer family gathering with the Mother’s family over Labor Day, the parties can work together to ensure that the children continue to enjoy this family tradition while also ensuring that the Father is able to also have meaningful vacation time.  The parties can work together to ensure that the children’s time off from school is maximized with each parent. 

Often times, parents only think of the major school vacations such as summer vacation and/or the winter recess.  However, there are a number of long weekends and days off from school that can be shared between the parties.  Utilizing the collaborative process enables a family to work together and develop a plan that works for both the parents and the children.  This is accomplished by a series of meetings between the parents and their parenting coach where they develop their interests and goals.  The parties are then able to engage in meaningful discussions regarding the children and the parenting plan that takes into consideration each parent’s interests and goals.  In the collaborative process, the parties have the ability to ensure that their vacation schedule is unique to their family’s needs.