Post-divorce child custody agreements are often individualized to meet the needs of both parents and children. These agreements may also be modified throughout the children’s lives, so that both parents are able to spend important times with their children. A recent case highlights a very unusual custody agreement that may be precedent-setting for sports loving divorcees with children. It is possible that future child custody agreements worked out in Michigan, and other states, may also include sporting events, or other non-traditional visitation days, as legitimate requests for child visitation.
It’s customary for divorcing parents to divide the holidays in their child custody agreements. In this custody agreement, each parent had set holidays and vacations that would be spent with their son and daughter. The woman would have the children for Jewish holidays and part of their winter vacation from school. The man would have the children for Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day and Super Bowl Sunday.
However, the man alleged that the custody agreement wasn’t fair. He additionally requested that the children spend the day of the NCAA men’s basketball title game with him, if his favorite team was playing. The man equated the NCAA title game to a holy day, citing that the sports teams from his hometown are a large part of his cultural heritage. Although “his team” hasn’t won the NCAA title game in almost 10 years, it is predicted that the basketball team will be a contender this year.
Since this custody agreement was approved by the court, is possible that many more parents will follow suit in the near future, by requesting unusual visitation days that are significant to them, and that they feel are in the best interests of their children.
Source: Huffington Post, “Syracuse Divorce: Man Requests To Have Custody Of Kids For Title Game,” July 27, 2012