Who Gets the Children for the Passover Seder – Why is this Night Different from all Other Nights?

Many parents seek to celebrate holidays with their children and seek to preserve certain religious practices and customs – even more so after divorce – because they see the import of passing on their values to their children. In the Jewish faith, the Passover Seder has particular significance. At Lyons & Associates, P.C., we specialize in all aspects of family law, and we know how important it is to foster inter-generational ties.

If having your children present to participate in your family’s Passover Seder is important to you, the best advice we can give is to make sure that you express that to your divorce attorney from the get go. There are certain standard holiday charts and guidelines that judges reference when deciding who gets the children for certain holidays. Typically, if the issue is brought to the attention of the Courts, the judges will seek to implement a schedule that treats both parents fairly when it comes to holidays. If your attorney knows what holidays are important to you, then he/she can make sure to include the Passover Seder within those guidelines.

But what if you were not fortunate enough to have Lyons & Associates, P.C. as your divorce attorneys? What if a comprehensive holiday plan was not put in place as part of your original divorce? There are several things we can do. First, we can reach out to the other side to see if they are willing to attend mediation to resolve the holiday time disputes. Second, we can draft a consent order to amend your original Judgment of Divorce, and we can propose a new holiday schedule to implement with your family. If those steps fail, we can file an application to the Court and ask the judge to impose a more equitable holiday schedule.

If holidays are important to you and your children, and you want to make sure that you get your fair share of holiday time with your family, then contact one of the skilled attorneys at Lyons & Associates, P.C. at 908-392-6632, or fill out our online intake form.

Written by: Theresa A. Lyons, Esq.