Paulette Hamilton | December 2, 2025 | Child Custody Cases in Orlando
Holidays should be joyful, but for divorced parents in Orlando, the season can magnify stress if your custody plan is vague. Crowded calendars, school breaks, travel, and extended family obligations collide, emotions run high, and last-minute disputes over pickup times or cherished traditions can flare—sometimes leaving kids caught in the middle.
A clear, written holiday schedule within your Florida Parenting Plan sets expectations—who has which holiday, whether you alternate years, and exact start/end times. This guide outlines Orlando-friendly arrangements, offers communication tips, and suggests simple dispute-resolution steps so your children enjoy the season—and both parents feel heard.
The Importance of Holiday Schedules
Many of us have warm memories of the holidays or a desire to make holidays special for our children. These special days carry emotional weight for many parents, as they may serve as the basis for core memories and represent limited opportunities to spend time with extended family members.
When the parenting plan and schedule are not clear, disagreements can arise, resulting in unhappy children and avoidable conflict. A detailed and clear holiday schedule avoids ambiguity. Parents can plan ahead, and children can feel more secure because they know what to expect.
What Florida Law Requires Regarding Holidays
Florida law requires a parenting plan in all cases involving time-sharing with minor children, even when time-sharing is not in dispute. The parents must develop and agree to the plan, which the court must then approve. If parents are unable to agree on a plan, the court establishes a parenting plan that the parents must abide by.
Parents can use parenting plans developed by the courts or create their own. Either way, parenting plans must address holiday time-sharing and school breaks. The plan must be detailed enough that the court can enforce it if a parent violates it.
Example Holiday Visitation Schedules
Florida parents have great leeway when creating their own parenting plans. As long as the court determines the plan is in the child’s best interests, they will usually approve it.
Some common plans that Florida parents use to handle holidays include the following:
Alternating Holidays
In this plan, parents alternate holidays each year, so whatever holidays a parent has one year, they have the opposite the following year. For example, Parent 1 may have Thanksgiving, while Parent 2 has Christmas. The following year, Parent 1 would have Christmas, and Parent 2 would have Thanksgiving.
Holidays that you may wish to include in your parenting plan include the following:
- New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
- Easter
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Fourth of July
- Labor Day
- Halloween
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas Eve and Christmas or Hanukkah
The plan should also include information on school breaks, such as spring break, summer break, and winter break.
Split Holidays
With this plan, the holiday is divided in half between the parents. For example, one parent may have the child on Christmas Eve, and the other parent may have the child on Christmas Day.
Fixed Holidays
Under this plan, each parent gets the same holidays each year. For example, one parent always gets New Year’s celebrations, and the other parent gets Memorial Day.
Double Celebrations
With this plan, the child celebrates the same holiday with each parent separately. For example, the child may spend Father’s Day with their father and with their mother and stepfather in separate celebrations.
Contact the Orlando Child Custody Lawyers at the Law Office Of Paulette Hamilton Divorce Lawyers for Help Today
At the Law Office Of Paulette Hamilton Divorce Lawyers, we can discuss your unique situation with you and determine your needs and preferences. Our Orlando child custody attorneys can help you compare various options and discuss their pros and cons. Contact us today to learn more about your legal options.
