As a parent, you may not look forward to summer vacation. After all, you still have to work even when your kids are enjoying time away from school.
If you’re divorced, you know that summer vacation has a way of bringing child custody disputes to the forefront.
When it comes time to plan a summer vacation with your child, here are a few tips that can ease the tension and ensure that everyone is on the same page:
- Devise a schedule and share it with your ex-spouse. If you’re taking a trip, plan the details as far in advance as possible. When you do this, you don’t have to concern yourself with your ex-spouse being taken by surprise.
- Review your child custody agreement. As time passes, it’s easy to believe that this is no longer important, but that’s not the case. You need to review your child custody agreement to ensure that there are no travel restrictions of which you must be aware. For example, your agreement may say that you are not permitted to travel outside the state or country with your child.
- Be flexible. Even though it’s your vacation with your child, you should still maintain some flexibility in order to satisfy the other parent. An example of this would be leaving a week earlier than you were hoping so that you can accommodate the other parent’s schedule and plans.
- Talk things over with your ex. Every dispute doesn’t need to involve the courts. Many matters can be amicably settled between the two of you by agreeing to civilly communicate.
- Allow your child ceoophone and/or video access with their other parent. If your child is old enough to use a cellphone, encourage him or her to stay in touch with your ex-spouse. If your child is too young, do your part in helping him or her communicate with the other parent.
At first glance, you may assume that these child custody tips are unnecessary. Yet, each one can help you better plan and carry out your trip.
If for any reason you run into a serious issue, such as the other parent trying to prevent your taking a trip with your child, you’ll want to review your parenting agreement to determine your legal rights.
