Halloween is not only a great time for kids to enjoy dressing up as their favorite characters, it may also a be an ideal time for recently divorced and separated parents concerned about sharing time to have a practice run for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Parents may be at odds over where they want the child to trick-or-treat, or whether they want the child to participate at all.
This issue may arise because celebrating Halloween may be considered taboo according to some religious practices. As such, one parent may not want the child to participate because it against their religious beliefs, while the other parent may not think it is harmful.
An intractable parent may even go as far as seeking a legal remedy to enforce their rights. After all, bringing a child up on a parent’s religion is sacrosanct. While religious concerns are genuine, the likelihood of preventing a child from Trick-or-Treating because of them may be unlikely. Courts faced with religious practice issues tend to tread very carefully to avoid the specter of endorsing one religion over another.
With that said, parents ambivalent about Halloween festivities because of religious convictions may have to be weary about the effect of court intervention. Instead, they may want to focus on creating solutions that will not deprive a child of unique, fun experiences that they will always remember.
If you have questions about how to handle custody and parenting time disputes during Halloween, an experienced family law attorney can help.
The preceding is not legal advice and is presented for informational purposes only.