Are you looking forward to taking a vacation with your child this summer? Do you have all the details in order? Are you beginning to wonder if your child custody arrangement and parenting agreement will stand in your way?
It goes without saying that you need to review your parenting agreement before you make any travel arrangements. This will go a long way in ensuring that you know what you can and can’t do.
However, even if you do this, you could face some challenges along the way. Here’s why: The other parent may push back a bit, especially if they had plans with your child during the same timeframe.
With all this in mind, there are some tips you can follow when planning a summer vacation with child custody in mind:
- Set a vacation schedule and then stick with it. You don’t want to jump all over the place in regard to dates and times. Instead, finalize all of the details and then sit down with the other parent to discuss.
- Give advance notice. The last thing you want to do is plan a vacation on short notice. Sure, there are times when you have no choice but to do this, but it’s best to avoid it at all costs. The more notice you provide the other parent, the less chance there is of something going wrong.
- Exchange custody at the appropriate time. Again, this is something you’ll want to discuss well in advance. As long as you’re on the same page as the other parent, you can feel good about everything going as planned.
- Encourage your child to communicate with the other parent during the trip. You shouldn’t prohibit him or her from talking with their other parent, as this will only put a damper on your vacation.
It’s possible that a child custody struggle could get in the way of your summer vacation. Since this issue is lurking, you want to take immediate action. By following the tips above, with a focus on your parenting agreement and legal rights, you’ll feel good about making everything work.