Holiday & School Holiday

Holidays and school holidays are one of the most common flashpoints in co-parenting. They are emotionally loaded, logistically complex and often inadequately planned for. Getting the arrangements clear, ideally before the arguments start, makes a significant difference.

Build it into your parenting plan

The best time to agree holiday arrangements is when you are creating your parenting plan, not in the run-up to the Easter holidays with a week's notice. Think through the full year:

• Summer holidays, who has the children when, and for how long
• Christmas and New Year, many families alternate years
• Easter, half terms and bank holidays
• The children's birthdays
• Parents' birthdays and significant family events
• Foreign holidays, passports, notice periods, consent requirements

Foreign travel

Taking children abroad without the other parent's consent, or contrary to a court order, is a serious matter. Even where there is no court order, taking children abroad without consent could amount to child abduction. Always agree in writing before booking.

Notice periods

Agree how much notice each parent needs to give for holiday plans. A minimum of four to six weeks is reasonable for holidays that affect the regular routine.

Planning holiday arrangements in advance

Holiday arrangements are one of the most common sources of conflict between separated parents — particularly around Christmas, school summer holidays, and children's birthdays. The single most effective thing you can do is agree a framework well in advance, ideally before the first major holiday after separation.

Common approaches include:

• Alternating years for key dates — Christmas with Mum in odd years, Dad in even years
• Splitting Christmas — one parent has Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the other has Boxing Day and New Year
• Each parent having a fixed block of the summer holidays, with the division agreed annually by a set date (e.g. 1 March)
• School half terms divided alternately or split evenly where possible

Holidays abroad

Taking a child abroad requires the consent of all those with parental responsibility, unless you have a court order that specifically permits it. If you have a child arrangements order that gives you the right to take the children for a holiday, you can take them abroad for up to 28 days without additional consent. If there is no such order, you need written consent from all parties with parental responsibility.

If your ex refuses to consent to a foreign holiday without good reason, you can apply to the court for a Specific Issue Order permitting the holiday. Courts generally support reasonable holiday requests where there is no genuine safeguarding concern.

What to do if the other parent does not return the children on time

If a child is not returned as agreed at the end of a holiday, this is a serious matter. If there is a child arrangements order in place, non-return is a breach of that order. Contact your solicitor immediately. If the child has been taken abroad and not returned, contact the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit (ICACU) and seek urgent legal advice.