You pull up the custody calendar to start planning summer vacation and realize the dates do not line up the way you thought they did. Then you remember there is a holiday weekend in the middle of your parenting time, and now you are trying to figure out which schedule takes priority. What looks simple on paper can quickly become complicated when school breaks, vacations, and special days overlap.
Barnholtz & Kugler understands how frustrating it is when a parenting plan leaves room for two different interpretations. We are here to help you understand how your schedule works and address problems before they turn into another conflict between you and the other parent.
How Does a Holiday Custody Schedule Work in California?
You can establish specific arrangements for holidays and school breaks that differ from your regular parenting schedule. You and the other parent can designate dates and exchange times in a parenting plan rather than rely on your normal weekday or weekend rotation. California’s holiday schedule attachment says that a holiday order takes priority over regular parenting time unless the court specifically orders otherwise.
What Are Some Child Custody Holiday Schedule Examples?
You have several options for dividing holidays without requiring multiple exchanges on the same day, including:
- Alternating holidays each year. You might have Thanksgiving in odd-numbered years while the other parent has it in even-numbered years. You can reverse the arrangement for the Fourth of July.
- Dividing one holiday into two periods. Your children might spend Christmas Eve through Christmas morning with you and Christmas Day with the other parent. Specify the exchange time and place.
- Keeping some celebrations consistent. You might agree that your children spend Halloween with one parent and New Year’s Day with the other every year. You can also address recurring religious celebrations.
These examples are options you can discuss with the other parent; they’re not California’s required schedules.
What Could a 50/50 Custody Holiday Schedule Look Like?
Equal parenting time during the school year does not mean you must split every holiday equally. A two-year rotation can give each household important celebrations without disrupting your children’s day with multiple exchanges.
| Holiday | 2027 | 2028 |
| Thanksgiving | Parent A | Parent B |
| Christmas Eve | Parent B | Parent A |
| Christmas Day | Parent A | Parent B |
| Fourth of July | Parent B | Parent A |
This sample schedule alternates among the listed holidays. It does not guarantee equal hours each year. You and the other parent still need to define when Thanksgiving begins, when Christmas Eve ends, and where exchanges occur.
How Does a Joint Custody Holiday Schedule Change the Weekly Rotation?
Suppose your children usually spend alternating weekends with each parent. Christmas falls on your usual weekend, but your holiday order assigns that Christmas to the other parent. The other parent has the children for the holiday period stated in your order, even though the holiday falls on your regular weekend. Once the holiday period ends, your normal parenting schedule resumes.
How Should You Handle Summer Vacation and School Breaks?
Summer can change your children’s daily routines, especially when you schedule camps, longer trips, or visits with relatives. You can consider several arrangements:
- Keep the regular rotation—continue the same weekday and weekend schedule during school vacation;
- Reserve vacation weeks—give each parent a specified number of uninterrupted weeks for travel;
- Use longer blocks—divide summer into larger periods to reduce exchanges; and
- Set selection deadlines—require each parent to choose vacation dates by an agreed date.
California courts suggest options for vacation periods, advance written notice, travel information, and the resolution of competing requests. Those provisions only apply when they form part of your order.
Keep in mind that if your child attends school outside of the home, you should check the actual first and last school days before selecting your summer periods.
What Happens When a Summer Vacation Includes a Holiday?
Imagine you book a two-week trip that covers the Fourth of July. The other parent has that holiday under your existing order. Your regular calendar gives you those summer weeks, but the vacation provisions may say otherwise regarding holiday conflicts.
Here is the scheduling mistake that creates trouble: choosing vacation dates without checking which provision controls when two special periods overlap. Before booking travel, check:
- Priority. Does holiday time interrupt a selected vacation period?
- Timing. When does the holiday exchange begin, and when does vacation time resume?
- Notice. When must each parent announce vacation dates?
- Conflicts. Who chooses first if both parents request the same week?
The holiday attachment gives holiday orders priority over regular parenting time, but that sentence alone does not settle every disagreement between a holiday provision and a separate vacation provision. If your order is unclear, resolve the conflict before booking travel.
What If You Need to Change Your Schedule?
You and the other parent might agree to a one-time exchange to accommodate a family event. An informal adjustment, however, does not amend your court order. For lasting changes, you can submit an agreed parenting plan for court approval or ask a judge to change the existing order if you cannot agree.
When courts decide custody issues, they consider the child’s health, safety, and welfare, along with other relevant factors. California favors parental contact when it serves the child’s best interests.
How Can Barnholtz & Kugler Help with Holiday Custody Schedules?
Barnholtz & Kugler brings more than 60 years of combined legal experience to California family law matters. From our Valencia office, we assist parents with custody disputes, parenting plans, and changes to existing custody and visitation orders. We handle negotiated resolutions as well as contested proceedings. Because we are a small firm, you will communicate directly with attorneys familiar with your family circumstances and the terms of your order.
The Situation Is Already Complicated. Getting Help Shouldn’t Be.
A calendar conflict should not leave you guessing about your parenting time. Contact Barnholtz & Kugler to schedule an appointment and discuss your options for resolving a holiday or summer scheduling problem.