When negotiating a custody and parenting time schedule, the parties generally try to account for all significant holidays -- including, of course, those which could impact school schedules. However, not all future contingencies can be anticipated -- especially when a “new” holiday is added to the calendar. And the complexity is compounded if the state and federal governments do not recognize the holiday on the same day.
That is exactly what happened a few years ago with regard to the introduction of the observance of Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in this country on June 19,1865. New Jersey first recognized this holiday in 2020 and it was decreed that Juneteenth would always be observed on the third Friday in June. A year later, the federal government formally recognized June 19th as a federal holiday and that it was to be observed on June 19th (unless the 19th fell on a weekend, as happened in 2022, at which point it was to be observed on the following Monday).
Suffice it to say, going forward, every custody and parenting schedule should now consider how to account for both the federal and state observation of Juneteenth, especially if the children’s school will still be in session. But the question may arise as to how to handle Juneteenth in the countless custody and parenting schedules that were formalized prior to 2020 and before Juneteenth was observed as both a state and federal holiday.
If you have encountered any parenting time issues as the result of the newly-recognized observation of Juneteenth, or for that matter if you have ever experienced any other unanticipated custody and parenting issues, it is never too late to address these issues. The family law attorneys at Cohn Lifland Pearlman Herrmann & Knopf LLP can assist you with regard to understanding your rights and options when faced with any unanticipated parenting issues, whether or not related to Juneteenth.