Your Quick Guide To Utah Holiday Parent Time

Holiday parent time can be confusing. The confusion stems from the fact that holidays alternate from parent to parent depending on odd and even years. Thornier still is that holidays take precedence over regular parent time.

Despite the potential for confusion and mistakes, the state parent time guidelines bring consistency and allow for planning with your children – enabling each parent to take advantage of various holidays throughout the year. (Please note that your holiday parent time may deviate from the parent time listed below and, if you already have a parent time plan or order, your individual plan trumps the state guidelines.

To make things even murkier, there are additional guidelines that extend certain holidays. So you may want to consult an attorney for additional guidance. The following is a break-down of the general holiday parent time listed in Utah Code section 30-3-35(2)(f) and (g):

Holiday Parent Time for the Noncustodial Parent (Usually the parent with fewer overnights)

Summer Parent Time: Two weeks uninterrupted and two weeks interrupted, i.e. the custodial parent chooses one weekday each of those two weeks, for day time parent time, but no overnights or weekends).

Even Numbered Years, i.e. 2018, 2020, 2022, etc

• Child’s birthday on actual birthdate, from 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (can have your other children too, if applicable);
• President’s Day weekend, Friday at 6:00 p.m until Monday at 7:00 p.m.;
• Memorial Day weekend, Friday at 6:00 p.m until Monday at 7:00 p.m.;
• July 24^th beginning at 6 p.m. on the day before the holiday until 11 p.m. or no later than 6 p.m. on the day following the holiday, at the option of the parent exercising the holiday;
• Columbus Day, 6:00 p.m. the day before the holiday until 7:00 p.m. on the holiday;
• Halloween on October 31 or the day Halloween is traditionally celebrated in the local community from after school until 9 p.m. if on a school day, or from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m.;
• Thanksgiving, beginning Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. until Sunday at 7:00 p.m.; and
• The second half of Christmas/Winter Break, beginning 1 p.m. on the day halfway through the holiday period, if there are an odd number of days for the holiday period, or at 7 p.m. if there are an even number of days for the holiday period, so long as the entire Christmas holiday period is equally divided.

Odd Numbered Years, i.e. 2017, 2019, 2021, etc.

• Child's birthday on the day before or after the actual birthdate beginning at 3 p.m. until 9 p.m., at the discretion of the noncustodial parent, the noncustodial parent may take other siblings along for the birthday;
• Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, Friday at 6:00 p.m until Monday at 7:00 p.m.;
• Spring Break, beginning at 6:00 p.m. the day school gets out for the holiday until 7:00 p.m. the day before school resumes;
• July 4^th,beginning 6 p.m. the day before the holiday until 11 p.m. or no later than 6 p.m. on the day following the holiday, at the option of the parent exercising the holiday;
• Labor Day weekend, Friday at 6:00 p.m until Monday at 7:00 p.m.;
• Fall Break, beginning 6 p.m. on Friday until Monday at 7 p.m.;
• Veteran’s Day, beginning 6 p.m. the day before the holiday until 7 p.m. on the holiday;
• The first half of Christmas/Winter Break, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, continuing until 1 p.m. on the day halfway through the holiday period, if there are an odd number of days for the holiday period, or until 7 p.m. if there are an even number of days for the holiday period, so long as the entire holiday period is equally divided.

Holiday Parent Time for the Custodial Parent(Usually the parent with more overnights)

Summer Parent Time: Two weeks uninterrupted

Odd Numbered Years, i.e. 2019, 2021, 2023, etc

• Child’s birthday on actual birthdate, from 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (can have your other children too, if applicable);
• President’s Day weekend, Friday at 6:00 p.m until Monday at 7:00 p.m.;
• Memorial Day weekend, Friday at 6:00 p.m until Monday at 7:00 p.m.;
• July 24^th beginning at 6 p.m. on the day before the holiday until 11 p.m. or no later than 6 p.m. on the day following the holiday, at the option of the parent exercising the holiday;
• Columbus Day, 6:00 p.m. the day before the holiday until 7:00 p.m. on the holiday;
• Halloween on October 31 or the day Halloween is traditionally celebrated in the local community from after school until 9 p.m. if on a school day, or from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m.;
• Thanksgiving, beginning Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. until Sunday at 7:00 p.m.; and
• The second half of Christmas/Winter Break, beginning 1 p.m. on the day halfway through the holiday period, if there are an odd number of days for the holiday period, or at 7 p.m. if there are an even number of days for the holiday period, so long as the entire Christmas holiday period is equally divided.

Even Numbered Years, i.e. 2018, 2020, 2022, etc.

• Child's birthday on the day before or after the actual birthdate beginning at 3 p.m. until 9 p.m., (can have your other children too, if applicable);
• Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, Friday at 6:00 p.m until Monday at 7:00 p.m.;
• Spring Break, beginning at 6:00 p.m. the day school gets out for the holiday until 7:00 p.m. the day before school resumes;
• July 4^th,beginning 6 p.m. the day before the holiday until 11 p.m. or no later than 6 p.m. on the day following the holiday, at the option of the parent exercising the holiday;
• Labor Day weekend, Friday at 6:00 p.m until Monday at 7:00 p.m.;
• Fall Break, beginning 6 p.m. on Friday until Monday at 7 p.m.;
• Veteran’s Day, beginning 6 p.m. the day before the holiday until 7 p.m. on the holiday;
• The first half of Christmas/Winter Break, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, continuing until 1 p.m. on the day halfway through the holiday period, if there are an odd number of days for the holiday period, or until 7 p.m. if there are an even number of days for the holiday period, so long as the entire holiday period is equally divided.

Additional Holidays for Each Parent

Mother’s Day each year: Mother from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Father’s Day each year: Father from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

We hope you enjoy your summer and holiday parent time with your kids!

BartonWood, P.C.