With the end of summer break drawing near, now is a popular time for families to take one last vacation together before school starts. Vacationing can be a complicated event for families who have gone through a divorce, and parents must follow certain rules in order to maintain harmony between each other and respect custody/visitation arrangements. Vacation is no longer as easy as loading up the kids in car and leaving whenever you so desire. A parent must now be mindful of the child’s other parent’s wishes before choosing to take their child on vacation. The following recommendations should be considered before a divorced parent chooses to take his/her child on vacation.
Plan ahead. Early on in the divorce, when planning a custody and visitation schedule, parents should consider planning out vacation time in advance. For example, consider the dad who agrees to have visitation rights every other weekend. While creating the custody/visitation agreement, if Dad knows he will be able to take 2 weeks off of work in August, and wishes to take the kids on vacation during that time, he is advised to include this plan for extra time with the kids into the custody agreement. Planning vacation arrangements down the road will ensure minimal conflict between parents when vacation time arises.
Respect your ex’s vacation plans too. Summer break and Christmas break often involve a great deal of family time. Parents will want to bring their child to family reunions, holiday gatherings, etc. These times often require a great deal of compromise between parents. In order to minimize conflict, parents should do their best to accommodate each other’s vacation plans. Doing so will give the child the best of both worlds, and allow him or her to enjoy vacation time without feeling torn between both sides of the family.
Consult your attorneys. Although parents are advised to work vacation scheduling out with each other, there are some parents who simply cannot do so without a great deal of conflict. In this event, parents are advised to seek the counsel of their respective attorneys and allow the attorney’s to formulate a scheduling agreement.
For more information on child custody and visitation, feel free to contact The Law Office of Bradley R. Tengler in Rockford, IL at 815-981-4859 for a free consultation. Please note, the above does not constitute legal advice. Please discuss your specific rights with an attorney in your own jurisdiction.