Arranging Contact with your Children over Christmas 2023

As Christmas approaches you are probably beginning to make plans for the festive period, and if you are a separated parent this can be difficult.  Establishing a reasonable and fair arrangement for contact with your children can be emotional and stressful, especially for recently separated couples.

In this article we look at how best to go about making the arrangements to help make the process a little easier.

We’ve put together a list of tips to consider when trying to arrange contact over the Christmas period.

• The children’s welfare and wishes are your top priority.  Make this Christmas one they remember for the right reasons.
• Keep talking!  If you can’t, there are Apps readily available to help, like Our Family Wizard or The Talking Parents App
• Even if relationships are strained, try to show your child or children that their parents are able to communicate well and co-parent, so they have the Christmas they wish for.  Any change in their routine should be presented as a positive – even if it means one parent needing to compromise a little
• Can family members help?  If the situation is hostile or you can’t guarantee a positive or safe environment, you could ask a relative to help by providing a different setting to celebrate with the children.  Christmas is a time for children to see their grandparents, aunts and uncles and it could provide a solution that works for both parents.
• Once you’ve reached an agreement, the children should be informed of the arrangement in a positive way.  Remember that any agreement can be alternated the following year.
• Like any situation, there is a possibility of that plans might have to change and you should be prepared for this.

If it hasn’t been possible to arrange contact with your children for Christmas, whether informally or through a Court Order, then our team are here to help.  There are many options to consider, from mediation to hybrid mediation, where the solicitors assist in a “round table” meeting to try to reach an agreement.

If these options are not suitable, we can guide you through the process to gain a Court Order to ensure you and your children can spend time together this Christmas.

If you need legal advice about child arrangements at Christmas or any other type of Family Law issue, contact our friendly expert team today for help.  We can arrange a free 30-minute consultation with one of our Family Law specialists so you can find out what they can do to reduce the stress of your situation.

Tel:          01245 893400
Email:     info@backhouse-solicitors.co.uk
Visit:       17 Duke Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1JU
Or send us a message through the Contact Us page on this website.