If you share custody of your children, summer break is one of the best
times of the year to spend quality time with your children. As you’re
making plans this summer, it is important to make sure that everything
goes smoothly and that your children have the best time possible.
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Understand the terms of your parenting plan: If you have a parenting plan, it may require that you give notice of
your travel itinerary at least one month in advance and that your travel
itinerary be mutually agreed upon. The parenting plan may also limit your
vacation time to no longer than 2 weeks at a time. Meaning, you can take
2 weeks of vacation within a year, but it cannot be for 2 consecutive
weeks. For those reasons and more, it is important to understand your
parenting plan prior to booking your travel with your children.
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COVID-19: Whether you have a parenting plan or not, COVID-19 has impacted travel
plans for everyone. Prior to booking travel, it is very important for
you to know and understand the guidelines, policies, and/or directives
that each airline, state, county, hotel, car rental, etc. adheres to so
that you can be well prepared prior to traveling. One of the best resources
to help you prepare for travel during COVID-19 is the Center for Disease
Control’s website that has a tab specifically geared towards travel,
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html. This site not only covers travel within the United States, but it also
covers international travel and advises about any travel health notices.
Another great feature within this site is that it has a “travel
planner” tab that allows you to input a city, zip code, address,
or national park name to learn more about COVID-19 restrictions and resources
for your specific destination.
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Put together a plan that best suits your children’s needs: No matter what, the most important thing to do is to make sure that your
children’s needs are kept at the forefront of any plans. This is
their summer vacation just as much as it is yours, but your children’s
best interest needs to be the focus of your plans.
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Keep everyone in the loop: The best way to keep everyone in the loop is to communicate. Make sure
that you don’t surprise anyone with vacation plans even if a surprise
opportunity comes up. Communication is key to preventing conflicts and
unnecessary tension.
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Don’t hide relevant information: If you’re planning on taking your children somewhere for an extended
period of time, make sure that you provide a detailed travel itinerary
to the other parent. Even if your parenting plan does not require that
you advise the other parent of any travel arrangements, communicating
such travel arrangements to the other parent will probably make co-parenting
more successful. The safety of your children, knowing where your children
are, and knowing when they will return are top concerns for parents. Some
information that you may consider giving to the other parent may be your
flight itinerary, hotel names and phone numbers, and contact information
for any friends that you may be staying with while on vacation.
Every one of us here at The Harris Law Firm is a proud supporter of our
local communities, and we know just how special it can be to share in
the local fun with your children and loved ones. If you’re looking
for some support to help you through your legal issues, our Colorado family
law attorneys are ready to hear your story and work with you to secure
the legal outcome you need. Give us a call at (303) 622-5502 or
send us your information through our online form to set up a private consultation with a member of our firm.
