The weather has become warmer and pleasant, and many families are in the process of finalizing vacation plans. Divorced parents have an extra checklist that should be remembered in order to ensure a stress-free and pleasant time with their children.
Below is a helpful resource to which you can refer as you prepare for your summer vacation. Checking off these items before you embark upon your trip will allow you to focus on relaxation, fun, and making memories that your children will have for years to come.
- Check your final judgment of divorce and any agreements and court orders to make sure your selected vacation time is not designated as a holiday or otherwise reserved for the other parent. If it is, you will generally need the other parent’s consent to take the time, in writing.
- Provide ample notice of your selected vacation time, along with flight and travel information and a manner in which the children can get in contact with the other parent. Many agreements require a certain number of days by which you must notify the other parent of your selected vacation days. Planning ahead will ensure no scheduling conflicts.
- If your travel destination requires a passport, ensure that the children’s passports are up to date and that you have any required parental consent forms that may be required by the airport completed by the other parent. If the other parent is the regular holder of the passports, retrieve them well in advance.
- Permit the children to call the other parent on vacation. This will relieve the stress of the other parent who will be concerned while the children are traveling, which will prevent that parent from causing you grief either while on vacation or when you return. A quick call to the other parent often times helps the children relax and enjoy as well.
- Be mindful of travel advisories, which are issued by the U.S. State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is good advice for all parents.
- Keep in mind that courts only address holiday and vacation parenting time conflicts on an emergent basis in rare circumstances. Even minor disputes that require court intervention after a divorce take between one and two months to resolve by motion practice. Therefore, be reasonable. Your next vacation may be just around the corner, and you will want that reasonableness reciprocated.
For additional information about your New Jersey family law matter, contact the Morris County law offices of Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark today at 973-828-0829. Our knowledgeable New Jersey divorce and family law attorneys will be happy to answer your questions with a cost-free consultation.
