A regular weekly custody calendar often doesn’t answer the question that matters most before Thanksgiving or winter break: who has the child, and when? Arizona doesn’t impose one mandatory statewide holiday calendar for every family. The answer should be in the parenting plan, with enough detail that neither parent must negotiate the basics as a holiday approaches.
We practice family law exclusively, and our team includes attorneys who hold family law certification. We work with Tucson and Pima County families to develop schedules that account for the child’s routines, school calendar, family traditions, and the practical realities of two households.
What Arizona Parenting Plans Must Cover
Arizona Revised Statutes § 25-403.02 requires a parenting plan to include a practical parenting-time schedule for holidays and school vacations. This detail shouldn’t be left to resolve later. A workable holiday calendar gives both parents and the child clear expectations before a special occasion arrives.
The document must cover more than holidays. It also addresses legal decision-making, each parent’s rights and responsibilities, exchange procedures, parent-child communication, dispute resolution, and a process for periodic review.
Two Separate Parenting Questions
Parenting time determines when the child is with each parent. Legal decision-making concerns authority over major decisions involving education, health care, and religious training. Parents may share decision-making authority without having equal time with the child, so that arrangement alone doesn’t establish how Thanksgiving or a school break will be divided.
When reviewing an existing order, look for a separate section covering holidays, school breaks, vacations, or special occasions. An order that states only the normal weekly rotation may not resolve special-day scheduling.
Clear Terms Prevent Holiday Scheduling Conflicts
A holiday schedule should state whether it overrides the regular weekly calendar. Arizona superior court sample forms commonly give holiday periods priority over the usual rotation, preventing a routine exchange from cutting a special occasion short.
Arizona court guidance also cautions against terms such as “share,” “divide,” or “decide later.” Those words sound cooperative, but they don’t answer the questions that cause conflict: Which hours are included? Who transports the child? What happens when a holiday overlaps with a regular exchange?
For each holiday or school break, the schedule should identify:
- The exact start and end date and time.
- The exchange location and which parent is responsible for transportation.
- Whether the special schedule takes priority over the regular weekly calendar.
- Whether a parent receives make-up time after a missed regular period.
School vacations require the same precision. “Half of winter break” can mean one period ending on Christmas Day or another lasting until school resumes. Defined periods, such as the day school releases through noon on December 26, leave less room for disagreement.
We also encourage parents to consider issues that a bare holiday list misses, including work schedules, travel time, and the child’s extracurricular commitments. A schedule needn’t be rigid in every circumstance, but its default terms should remain clear when communication is difficult.
Build the Calendar Around the Child’s Traditions
There’s no required Arizona formula stating that holidays must alternate every year or be split down the middle. Arizona court guidance encourages parents to identify the religious, cultural, and national holidays observed in each household. The right arrangement depends on the child’s established traditions and the family’s circumstances. Common approaches include:
- Alternate by year. Many families alternate Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, or spring break between even and odd years. This arrangement can work when both parents have meaningful traditions on the same holiday and exchanges are practical.
- Divide a school break. Winter break or spring break can be divided into defined blocks instead of vague halves. The terms should identify the dividing point and account for the school district’s actual release and return dates.
- Recognize recurring observances. A recurring religious holiday or cultural event may remain with one parent when it’s a consistent part of the child’s life. The calendar can also address Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and each parent’s birthday separately from the annual rotation.
Three-day weekends don’t always require a separate split. For example, an Arizona superior court sample form keeps Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day with the parent who already has the child for that regular weekend. This is an example, not a required rule for Pima County families.
Before agreeing to terms, parents should place the school calendar beside a list of important family events. An arrangement that looks equal on paper may repeatedly prevent a child from attending the same annual gathering, faith observance, or extended-family event.
When Parents Disagree, Courts Focus on the Child
When parents can’t agree on legal decision-making or the child’s schedule, each must submit a proposed parenting plan. If they disagree about a particular element, the court decides that element and may address other factors needed to protect the child’s emotional and physical health.
Arizona courts resolve custody scheduling issues according to the child’s best interests. Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 25-403, relevant considerations include the child’s relationship with each parent, the child’s wishes when appropriate, and each parent’s ability to cooperate in decisions affecting the child.
A proposed holiday calendar should do more than state a preferred result. It should explain how the arrangement fits the child’s school schedule, established routines, travel needs, and important family traditions. Parents preparing for a hearing should identify the family events the child would miss under the other proposal instead of relying on broad claims that one arrangement is fairer.
For some families, mediation offers a setting to work through calendar details before asking a judge to decide them. A practical proposal gives the other parent enough specificity to respond to each holiday, exchange, and vacation period.
Preparing a Holiday Schedule in Pima County
In Pima County, child custody cases begin in Pima County Superior Court and may involve early resolution conferences and court-connected mediation when appropriate. Whether parents are creating their first schedule or addressing unclear holiday language in an existing arrangement, preparation starts with identifying the dates and traditions that matter to the child.
We represent people with a significant interest in caring for a child, including:
- Mothers and fathers.
- Grandparents.
- Other relatives.
We also establish parenting-time schedules involving legal guardians and adoptive parents, whose holiday arrangements may need to account for more than two households or different family roles.
A clear calendar gives a child predictable expectations and gives parents fewer reasons to revisit the same dispute before every major break. It should answer ordinary questions in advance while allowing parents to make mutually agreed adjustments as circumstances change.
McNorton Fox PLLC provides child custody representation for families in Tucson and throughout Pima County who need an individualized holiday or vacation schedule. To discuss your circumstances, contact us at (520) 415-2970.