Father's Day and Sole Custody

Father's Day — the third Sunday in June — celebrates dads, stepdads, grandpas and other father figures. Most holiday visitation schedules have children spend the day with their dad (and Mother's Day with their mom).

Even if they have a sole physical custody arrangement, parents can agree to any Father's Day plan that works for their situation.

When Mom has sole custody

When a mother has sole custody, the father usually still has parenting time on Father's Day. See popular ways to schedule his time below.

In rare cases where a father has no visitation at all, the parenting plan doesn't need to address Father's Day.

Give part or all of Sunday to Dad

Many mothers with sole custody agree to have the child spend part or all of Father's Day with their dad.

Give Dad Saturday night and Sunday

If overnight visits with Dad are permitted, the child can also spend Saturday night with him for more Father's Day time.

Give Dad an additional day

If Father's Day falls on Dad's regularly scheduled visitation day, parents can agree to give him an additional day to celebrate the holiday.

In this example, Father's Day is on the Sunday of Dad's monthly weekend visit, so parents agree that the child will spend the following Monday with him.

Use the court's standard schedule

When parents can't agree on their parenting time schedule, the court decides in a custody hearing or trial. Many courts issue a standard visitation schedule that gives the father significant time on Father's Day.

For more information, see our guide to visitation in your location.

When Dad has supervised visitation

If a father has supervised visitation, parents should coordinate with their supervisor to schedule a Father's Day visit.

When Dad has sole custody

When a father has sole custody, it's assumed he spends Father's Day with the child.

However, if the holiday falls on the mother's regularly scheduled visitation day, parents need to decide if Dad should have the day instead. If they give him the day, they should schedule a makeup visit for Mom.

The easiest way to make a holiday visitation schedule

There's a lot to think about when you build a holiday schedule. You'll want it to address weekend and midweek holidays, reflect special occasions unique to your family (like birthdays) and work for years to come.

The Custody X Change app makes it easy. Just open your Custody X Change calendar and follow our steps to make a holiday schedule.

To make a custody schedule quickly and affordably, turn to Custody X Change. You'll get written and visual versions that meet your family's needs, as well as court standards.