It must feel thrilling to plan a vacation with your children post-divorce. You may be envisioning a simple road trip or a celebratory out-of-country destination. To ensure that everything on your vacation can run smoothly, here are four things to consider before finalizing your itinerary:
Review the terms in your joint custody order and parenting plan
Parents who raise their children in a joint custody arrangement have a detailed outline of shared time and responsibilities drafted in their parenting plan. One important matter outlined in this court-approved agreement is when each parent will spend their vacation or holidays with their children.
In most cases, parents add rules to the joint custody order’s travel arrangements. Some examples of this are giving advance notification to the other parent and providing parental consent for the trip.
Communicate in advance with your ex-spouse
When you maintain effective communication with your ex-spouse, you can keep a healthy relationship with them. By letting them know of your plans to travel in advance, you enforce mutual respect and give them an opportunity to raise any concern or suggestion.
Some travelling matters that you can discuss as co-parents include:
- When and where the trip will take place
- Will you have other companions
- How long do you intend to travel out-of-state or out-of-country
- When the other parent can call the children
- How you can be reached in case of an emergency
- If your trip will require changes to the agreed visitation schedule
Practice adaptability and compromise
Managing a co-parenting plan requires flexibility from both parents. When planning a trip with your children, you must also consider if it will have an impact on your co-parent’s visitation time. For example, the trip will last for more than a week, requiring them to give up their visitation days.
An effective way to compromise is by letting your co-parent know how you plan to make up for their lost visitation days. This gesture can give them a feeling of reassurance, helping them adjust their parenting time with ease and better clarity.
Prepare all required documentation
Although most out-of-state trips will usually require the written consent of your co-parent, going on an international trip with your child will require more complex planning and legal documentation. Depending on where you intend to travel, some countries will ask for a notarized letter of consent from the non-traveling parent. To ensure validity of your document, your consent form should be prepared with precision.
You can also seek some guidance from a family law attorney, who can answer any questions you might have while making sure your document meets all the jurisdictional requirements.
May you have safe travels ahead
Planning family trips post-divorce can be a fun and liberating experience. By understanding the process and ensuring that your co-parent is aware of vacation ahead of time, you can manage expectations and limit conflict along the way.