With how stressful divorce is for Colorado parents, it’s understandable if you feel that could use a vacation after the proceedings are over. Unfortunately, planning a trip isn’t as easy when you become a single parent.
There are several things you need to consider such as the custody schedule, your child’s extracurricular activities and what your ex is up to. Even though you may not want to speak with your ex after all is said and done, you don’t want to deny your kid opportunities to explore the world just because their parents aren’t together. If you want less stress when you want you and your kid to go away for a while, you and your spouse are going to have to talk to each other to set up your guidelines.
During the divorce
Vacation problems could arise even when you two aren’t fully divorced yet. Some couples set up geographical limits on where they can take the kid after the separation. Some agreements ban specific countries while some end up banning travel out of the United States in general. You need to make sure you are aware of your spouse’s preferences during the proceedings so you can challenge them if you disagree.
In case you don’t find out about these restrictions until after the divorce, you can still request a custody modification to fit more of your travel needs. Parents with joint or primary custody can request the court to intervene and take away your kid’s passport if they find out you’re going against the restrictions, so it’s best to have this figured out as early as possible.
After the divorce
You should still speak with your ex about any upcoming vacations you plan to have with your child even if the travel requirements are satisfactory. It could impact their own travel plans as well as their custody time in case there are any significant delays during the trip. Additionally, minor children require signatures from both parents if they want to travel out of the country. If you don’t inform your ex about your trips or try to get your child to fly internationally without their permission, you could face accusations of child abduction.
Travel can be a touchy subject in divorce. Colorado is a nice state, but your kid deserves the chance to see other parts of the U.S. and world. In case you and your ex have disagreements on how travel should work in the custody dispute, contact a Denver family law attorney to assist you with the issue.