The warmer temperatures that accompany spring often prompt parents in Richmond to start contemplating how they are going to best utilize the extra time they will have their children during summer breaks. People, in general, tend to enjoy a period of downtime (indeed, according to Travel Agent Central, 35 percent of Americans take a vacation in an area more than 50 miles away from their homes annually). Parents often utilize their children’s summer break to take their vacations; divorced parents are no different. Yet fixed custody schedules can make planning a summer vacation difficult.
The state’s guidelines for managing custody during the holidays have been detailed in the past. Many also wonder if similar guidelines exist during summer break. The Kentucky Court of Justice has indeed set forth details for managing custody during this time period for older children (custodial guidelines for infants less than 18 months old do not consider summer break as these children are yet to be subject to school schedules). Kids between 18 months and three years of age are afforded 3 periods of four consecutive days with their non-custodial parents during the summer. Non-custodial parents are also given two extended periods of custody during the summer in which they can have the kids for two consecutive weeks (the custodial parent is also allowed one week of uninterrupted custody). In either case, both parents are required to give the other at least 60 days notice of their vacation plans.
These are, of course, the guidelines set by the court. If a divorced couple is able to come up with their own custody schedule that allows both time to take a summer vacation with the kids, the court may set aside the state’s guidelines in favor of such an agreement.
