A parent’s right or ability to take a child on vacation is generally addressed in the parties’ parenting plan. The provision relating to vacations may address when and for how long a parent may take a child on vacation, how much advance notice of the vacation should be given to the other parent, and whether a parent must have the consent of another parent before taking the child out of state or out of the country. A parenting plan also may require a parent to provide the other parent with an itinerary of the planned vacation, as well as contact information, such as the name, address, and telephone number of the hotel at which the parent and child are staying.
The level of detail in a parenting plan about taking a child on vacation depends on the situation. If the parents have a good relationship, then vacations should not cause a dispute, and there should be no need for detailed provisions in the parenting plan related to vacations. However, if parents tend to argue about everything, planning a vacation can result in a dispute between parents; in this type of situation, the parenting plan provisions regarding visitation may be significantly more detailed.
Although vacations taken to another state are quite common, there may be additional or different provisions in a parenting plan concerning vacations outside the country. For instance, federal law requires that both parents consent when applying for a passport for a child. If one parent is refusing to allow the other parent to get a passport for the child, then the issue should be addressed in the parenting plan. If there are grounds to fear parental kidnapping, such as one parent being a citizen of another country, then the provisions in a parenting plan regarding travel outside the country may be far more extensive than in other parenting plans, which may not address these issues at all.
Custody disputes are never easy and typically result in a very difficult time for all parties involved. During times like these, it is hard to make the decisions that are truly best for you and your family, particularly when it comes to your children. It is in these kinds of cases that a Washington child custody lawyer can be most useful to you and truly make a difference in the outcome of your case. Visit our website and click on the “Contact Us” button and fill out the online form today. If you contact us online, one of our staff members will get back to you right away.
