Can My Custody Agreement Impact My Vacation Plans?

Can My Custody Agreement…

Vacation Season Is Coming

As summer vacation quickly approaches, kids who will be getting off of school are starting to look forward to what incredible trips their parents may have planned for them. Divorced parents, however, have a different challenge in planning ahead. In addition to the normal stress of figuring out where to go and what to do, a divorced parent has to consider the custody agreement when planning. How should someone in this situation proceed?

Consult the Custody Agreement

The first step is to consult the custody agreement and communicate the desire to travel with the child with the ex-spouse. Healthy communication ahead of time, while difficult, can make planning summer vacations much easier. Ensuring adherence to the custody plan also makes it easier to work vacations out.

Pay attention to key provisions in the agreement, such as timesharing and visitation rights. If the planned dates of the trip conflict with a regularly scheduled visit, see if a different arrangement can be made, such as extra time the following month to make up for missed time.

Communicate Plans

Beyond just communicating the desire to travel, parents should also communicate the itinerary as well as any necessary contact information to an ex-parent. Doing so helps the parent not coming on the trip still feel connected to the child and can be an extra layer of safety, as well.

Tell the Court

Communicating travel plans to the court that set the custody and visitation agreement is a smart move that not only keeps the court informed of the plans but also how the custody agreement is maintained and if any adjustments to visitation or timesharing are made. If traveling out of state, the judge can determine if this is allowed in the agreement and what information needs to be shared with the ex-spouse.

Seek Modification

If your custody agreement does not allow for vacations or if you want to take your child on a vacation but are unsure how to proceed, consider seeking a modification to your custody arrangement to make these plans possible.

At Duke Law Firm, P.C. we not only know how to handle child custody cases, but we have the skills needed to help you seek modification and to handle your case with kindness every step of the way.

Call us today at (585) 449-4987 to speak with one of our Livingston County or Monroe County attorneys about your case.