Maybe a parent who shares custody of their children has siblings who live in South Carolina not far from the ocean. Perhaps the older children in the family have become quite interested in wooden roller coasters, and there is a desire to travel through the Midwest in order to patronize regional amusement parks.
Parents hoping to have a meaningful vacation experience with their children are sometimes subject to rules that limit their experiences together. Per a Connecticut shared custody arrangement, is it possible to still go on a family vacation that requires out-of-state travel?
Some parents will be subject to specific limitations
Some Connecticut parenting plans have more restrictions than others. In cases where there has been a history of misconduct or there are concerns about the possibility of parental kidnapping, for example, the family may have a rule that the parents cannot travel out of the state without prior approval. Often, such limitations only apply to international travel, such as a spring break in Mexico.
Even if there are limitations on travel in a parenting plan, either parent can request a modification hearing and potentially obtain permission for a vacation with the children if they can show it would be beneficial for the children.
Many parents won’t need to even go that far, as they can negotiate a one-time adjustment to their summer parenting plan to accommodate the planned vacation with the other parent. The sooner a parent starts planning for a vacation, the easier it will be to secure the appropriate permission regardless of how the other parent behaves.
Addressing the possibility of future travel in a parenting plan and knowing when going back to court is the best option can help parents who are worried about making the best use of their scheduled parenting time.