During a marriage, traveling with your children is easy. There are no restrictions. You can hop on a plane at a moment’s notice and enjoy an amazing vacation with your family.
After a divorce, this luxury can be taken away from you. Because your relationship with your ex-spouse is changing and complex, disagreements on vacation plans may arise. With resentment, differing schedules and wanting to claim certain holidays, your travel plans can end up becoming a chore.
1. Create a holiday schedule
If you see your holidays becoming a source for a fight instead of a fun experience, seek a plan. Usually, people spend months trying to come to a compromise that works for both parties during a divorce. Custody covers holiday time, but the rules aren’t always clear. Saying one parent gets Christmas while the other gets Thanksgiving is vague. It can lead to bigger fights. By creating a specific plan with dates, you can enjoy your holidays without worry.
2. Clarify your visitation time
Spontaneous vacations are out of the question after a divorce. Wanting to surprise your child with a spring break trip is wonderful until your ex-spouse planned to do the same. To avoid this, plan out which weeks each parent gets visitation. The more specific you are, the better off you and your ex-spouse will be. This can be especially helpful when your child has time off school. Around those dates, you can plan a vacation without clashing travel plans.
3. Agree on your traveling limits
You and your ex-spouse must discuss the limits of your travel. For some, traveling across the country is perfectly okay and for others, it isn’t. This is important to discuss before planning a vacation so you can find a compromise you are both happy with.
4. Get consent and give information
Before you travel, both parties must know and give consent to the trip. To take a child out of the country, both custodial parents need to give consent, usually in writing. Without this written consent, you cannot travel.
It’s also important to give your ex-spouse all information regarding your vacation before you leave. This could be anything from flight times to hotel information to contact numbers where the child can be reached in case of an emergency.
Although there are more hoops to jump through after a divorce, planning makes the transition easier. Even if you and your spouse don’t get along, making these plans will ensure many vacations and memories for your child.
