For the second year Rockville’s Independence Day celebration will be held in King Farm.   The event will be held from 7-10 p.m. on Monday, July 4th at Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park, 1800 Piccard Drive.   From 5 p.m.-8 p.m. there will be a Peace Gathering in honor of Mattie’s birthday and his legacy of peace.  There will be music, activities, cake, and conversation.  The City of Rockville’s Fireworks Celebration begins at 7 p.m.  Fireworks are expected to begin around 9:15 p.m. (www.rockvillemd.gov/independenceday)

Gaithersburg's 4th of July celebration has a new home. An entire day’s worth of activities – all leading up to a spectacular fireworks display – will take place at historic Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm. The Water Park and Mini Golf course open at 11 a.m., the Skate Park opens at 3 p.m. Festival activities begin at 5 p.m. with live music by Millennium and The Lloyd Dobler Effect, strolling entertainers, an interactive DJ, family fun inflatables, lawn games, a food court, activity vendors and more.  The fireworks show begins at dusk, about 9:30 p.m.  Following the fireworks there will be a SummerGlo After Party. The playground will be fully lit and there will be glow-in-the dark giveaways and activities, dancing to the sounds of a lively DJ, and food vendors selling late night snacks. http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/leisure/independence-day

For separated or divorced parents, summer scheduling can be quite stressful.  Transitioning from school year schedules to summer schedules can be difficult for both parents and children. Following a few simple tips can ensure less conflict and a more enjoyable summer.

Plan Ahead:  Review your parenting plan, separation agreement, and/or court order to determine what is outlined for the summer months.   Do you need to notify your ex-spouse about vacation requests by a certain date?   If so, make sure you do so, in writing.  Will you have your children when you are working?  If so, do you need to arrange camps and/or additional childcare?  Are you planning to travel out of the country with your children?  If so, are passports in order?  Are parental consent forms needed?   If your former spouse needs to provide permission for the children to travel out of the country, make sure you secure that in a timely manner. Don’t wait until the last minute.

Communication is Key: It is common courtesy to provide the non-traveling parent with an itinerary of your trip, even if your Agreement or Order does not provide for this.  Will your children be able to communicate with their other parent while they are away?  Make sure your ex-spouse has all necessary contact information.  If your children will be away from their other parent for an extended time, schedule Face Time or Skype sessions, and send some pictures of the children to your ex-spouse.   Provide your former spouse with information regarding camps and other activities you have enrolled your children in.   Confirm that these activities do not interfere with the other parent’s scheduled time, and if they do, attempt to resolve the issues in advance. To lessen the stress, consider using email and a shared online calendar to keep track of summer schedules. 

Avoid Competitions:  Remember that regardless of your financial situation, your children just want to spend time with you.   Just because your ex-spouse can afford a fancy beach vacation or a trip to Disney does not mean you have to do the same, especially if your finances do not support such a trip.   There are many local activities that you can do with your children that will enable them to create memories to last a lifetime.  Websites such as KidFriendlyDC.com (http://kidfriendlydc.com), our-kids.com (https://www.our-kids.com ), Fairfax Family Fun (http://www.fairfaxfamilyfun.com/calendar-of-events) and montgomerymag.com (http://www.montgomerymag.com ) provide tons of information on local activities happening through out the summer. 

If you follow these tips you and your children should be able to enjoy a fun-filled, stress free summer.   But if conflicts with your ex-spouse do arise, contact Hess Family Law to determine an appropriate course of action.   

Divorced parents often wonder if I remarry, will my child support obligations change?  Generally, remarriage does not affect child support obligations and a new spouse does not become financially responsible for your children.   Even if your ex-spouse is marrying someone very wealthy, your child support obligations will not change.   

A modification can occur if a parent can show a material change in circumstances, such as a material increase or decrease in income, and/or a change in work related childcare or additional expenses. Additionally, if you are remarrying and have new financial obligations within the new marriage, you are still obligated to pay child support from your first marriage and any new obligations will typically not be considered for modification purposes.

However, if you are also paying or receiving alimony, alimony will likely cease upon the remarriage.  The cessation of alimony will likely be cause for a child support modification. 

Because there are many factors that could affect the child support calculation, it may be in your best interest to consult with Ms. Hess at Hess Family Law, or another attorney, regarding your child support issue.