Custody schedules for Connecticut Gold Coast families typically work around a private-school calendar — not the public-school calendar — and around the particular logistics of boarding-school breaks, summer travel, and college planning. A parenting plan that does not account for those realities will need to be modified within the first year.
Private-school calendars in Fairfield County and the New Haven shoreline differ from public-school calendars in three meaningful ways: longer winter and spring breaks, earlier summer release, and additional non-instructional days clustered around faculty meetings and conferences. Parenting plans should reference the actual school calendar by school name, with a default rule for years when the calendar shifts.
For boarding-school students, the parenting time is structured around long breaks rather than week-on / week-off. Thanksgiving, winter break, March break, and the summer period are typically divided equally, with a default that older students have meaningful input. The plan should also address travel logistics — who books, who pays, and what airport — to avoid disputes each break.
Summer travel in high-asset households often includes a primary family residence (Cape, Vineyard, Nantucket, Hamptons) and international travel. Parenting plans should specify advance-notice requirements for international travel, passport custody, and a procedure for resolving disputed itineraries. A 'right of first refusal' clause for extended travel periods is common.
College planning becomes part of the parenting plan in the later years. Connecticut law allows for educational-support orders under C.G.S. § 46b-56c, which can require parents to contribute to higher-education costs up to age twenty-three. The firm drafts plans that align decision-making, school-visit logistics, and financial responsibility well before the application year.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. For guidance on a specific matter, contact the office.