Elements surrounding Halloween parenting time disputes

With Halloween coming in a couple of weeks, some of our readers may be experiencing difficulty with deciding where their child will go Trick-or-Treating. In some instances, parenting time disputes may become vindictive in that a parent may not even want a child to take part in this annual event.

With parenting time disputes, there are a number of ways to reach an accord where parents do not feel as if they are being slighted. It is not uncommon for the child to go on two (or more) Trick-or-Treating adventures.

Perhaps one parent can take them to a mall where they offer it on a day before Halloween, with the other parent taking the child through their neighborhood on Halloween night. Parents could even agree that on alternating years, this arrangement would be reversed.

After all, what kid wouldn’t want to go out and get candy twice? If the child feels special, that’s what ultimately matters, right?

However, we would be naïve if we did not acknowledge that some parents do not want their kids going Trick-or-Treating because of their religious beliefs, or because they are trying to educate the kids on how their religion works. Not only is this type of dispute difficult to resolve because of how passionate a parent can be about his or her religious beliefs, it is hard because a court may not be so willing to address a parenting time dispute simply because of one parent’s religious beliefs.

Because of this, it is important for warring parents to be open to flexibility regarding events directed towards a child’s happiness.

We Can Help

If you have questions about child custody or parenting time in Maryland, the family law attorneys at Leffler, Bayoumi & Oliver, LLC can help. We guide parents through custody matters throughout Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, and central Maryland.

Contact us to schedule a consultation, or call 410-740-1180.