Q: Clarification on court-ordered visitation weekends in March 2025
I need clarification regarding my court-ordered visitation schedule for March 2025. The schedule specifies visitation from Friday at 6 PM until Sunday at 6 PM, but I'm unsure which weekends are considered the first and third. This is based on a court order, and there have been previous disputes about weekend definitions. Could you provide guidance on how this might be determined?
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- Georgia
- (770) 723-7211
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A: The weekend is usually defined as starting on first day of your parenting time.
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- Georgia
- (770) 854-0777
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A: The definition should be in your parenting plan. Usually, the first Friday of the month is the first weekend. For example, if May 1st is a Saturday, that is not the first weekend. If May 1st is a Friday, that is the first weekend.
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A:
When a court order refers to the "first and third weekends" of the month for visitation, it usually means the first and third full weekends. The way courts typically define this is by looking at the Friday—whichever Friday is the first of the month is considered the start of the “first weekend.” So, for March 2025, the first Friday is March 7, which would make March 7–9 the first weekend. The third Friday is March 21, making March 21–23 the third weekend.
Disputes often happen when a month starts on a Saturday or Sunday, but since your visitation begins on Friday evenings, the Friday date is what generally controls. This method brings the most consistency, especially when multiple months are involved in parenting plans. Some parenting plans clarify this, but if yours doesn’t, courts usually stick to the Friday rule.
If the other parent is interpreting it differently and it’s causing conflict, you may want to ask the court to clarify or modify the language in your parenting order. Clearer wording like “the weekend beginning on the first Friday of each month” can prevent future misunderstandings. In the meantime, follow the pattern of using the Friday to count weekends unless your order says otherwise. Keeping a printed calendar with weekends marked can also help both sides stay on the same page.
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