Are You Prepared To Travel With Your Children This Summer?

The weather is finally starting to warm up and summer is almost here.  Children have wrapped up the last few days of school and are looking forward to summer vacation.  As a parent you may be putting the finishing touches on your summer travel plans.  If you are divorced, divorcing, or traveling without the other parent, things can sometimes seem more complicated.  The following are some tips to help make your summer travels go smoothly.  

If you are already divorced or a parenting agreement has been entered, start with reviewing your parenting agreement to make sure you have met your minimal obligations such as selection and confirmation of travel dates, and notification of your itinerary to the children’s other parent.  Regardless of what your agreement provides, or if you are not yet divorced, in order  to avoid any travel issues (or objections from a former, or soon to be former, spouse), it is a good idea to take the following steps in preparation for international and domestic travel this summer:

1. International Travel:

     a. Provide at least thirty (30) days’ notice (the more the better) to the non-traveling parent. 

     b. Include a general written itinerary which shows dates of travel, destination(s), flight numbers and times (if applicable), as well as contact addresses and phone numbers where the child and traveling parent can be reached while traveling.  Even though nowadays most people have a cell phone that works overseas, make sure the other parent has a land line to contact the place where you will be staying and, if you are using an alternate cell phone, provide that number as well.

     c. Make sure the passports for yourself and the child(ren) are up to date.  As a general rule, passports should have at least six months of validity when traveling internationally. Most countries will not permit a traveler to enter their country unless the passport is set to expire at least six months after the final day of travel.

     d. Seek to obtain written consent from the non-traveling parent authorizing the international travel that is both notarized and witnessed.  Written consent is mandatory for international travel with your child(ren).  The consent should include the following information:

          i. The child’s name, birthplace, and passport information.

          ii. Permission from the non-traveling parent and his/her contact information.