Are you planning a summer vacation with your child? Do you have reason to believe your ex-spouse will attempt to ruin your good time?
The last thing you want is for a child custody dispute to spoil the summer vacation you’ve been looking forward to. Since this is lingering in the back of your mind, there are a few things you need to do.
Before you do anything, review your parenting agreement from start to finish. You may come to find that there is something that alters your trip. For example, it may state that you are not permitted to travel with your child out of the state or out of the country.
Here are some tips to follow when planning a summer vacation with the idea of avoiding a child custody dispute:
- Set your schedule in stone. Once you have this in place, you can share it with the other parent to ensure that everyone is on the same page. You don’t want to change your schedule time and time again, as this will confuse things for everyone.
- Provide advance notice. You shouldn’t wait to tell the other parent about your planned vacation. Tell him or her about your plans as soon as possible, allowing them to make any necessary adjustments.
- Let your child stay in touch with the other parent. It goes without saying that you want to spend quality time with your child on your trip. While this may be your goal, don’t prohibit your child from contacting the other parent. If you do this it could sour the mood, thus making it a challenge to enjoy yourself.
There are not many things more exciting than taking a summer vacation with your child. If you plan on doing this in the months to come, make sure you understand what you should and shouldn’t be doing from a legal perspective.
Once you are on the same page as the other parent and your child, you can finalize the details and move forward from there. There may be some challenges along the way, but don’t let these stop you from taking a trip you’ll always remember.