Summer is a time that often provides children with pleasant memories, but parents dealing with it for the first time after their divorce may find that there is a bit of apprehension about vacation activities as parenting time is considered. A more detailed parenting plan can simplify the matter by making provisions for timing of travel and times children will spend with a non-custodial parent. Additionally, incorporating provisions for dealing with changes of plans can head off otherwise stressful situations.
In many cases, a parenting plan will provide for a dedicated period of summer vacation to be spent with the non-custodial parent. The agreement should contain a provision providing for advanced notice to ensure that the other parent can make his or her own vacation plans. Good communication is important to minimize stress for the children.
Families that continue to deal with contention after divorce because of parental conflicts could face some challenging situations connected with misunderstandings related to vacations. In extreme cases, a parent might file a police report because of the other party’s interference with visitation. However, the potential stress that this might create for the children may warrant alternative dispute resolution options such as mediation.
A parent who is concerned with issues such as child abduction during vacation might want to discuss them with a family law attorney prior to the settlement of a divorce. A parenting plan might be constructed to prevent travel to foreign destinations. In certain cases, a parent being awarded sole custody might not have to worry about children traveling with the other parent. However, issues involving changes to a supervised visitation schedule could crop up based on the non-custodial parent’s summer plans apart from the children.