When you want to take your children on a vacation holiday, it is important to remember to communicate your intentions with your ex-spouse. Whether you are the custodial or non-custodial parent does not matter. The other parent will want to know where his/her children are and how the vacation could affect regular access time.

• Provide your ex-spouse with a vacation proposal.

The first thing you should do is create a vacation travel proposal give a copy to your ex-spouse for their review. If you vacation will interfere with regular access, you should include how this will be offset if your ex-spouse wants to make sure they do not lose time with the children. There may be a requirement in an agreement or order that you give so many days’ notice to the other parent of your vacation plans.

• Provide your ex-spouse with a travel itinerary.

Once your ex-spouse agrees to the vacation proposal, the next step is to provide them with a detailed travel itinerary showing travel dates, where you will be staying, contact phone numbers, and so on. For international travel, even to the United States, you will want to address any issues over passports, such as who will pay for them, and any other concerns brought up by your ex-spouse.

• Share what travel-related activities you will be doing with your children.

Your ex-spouse will want to know what activities you have planned for the children. For instance, if you are taking them to Orlando to go the theme parks, let the other parent know which parks you intend to visit.

• Discuss travel expenses and any financial expectations you have.

While you may be covering all the costs to take your children on vacation, the other parent may want to contribute financially in some manner. For example, the might provide money to help pay for meals or so the children can buy souvenirs.

• Set aside time for the children to communicate with the other parent.

While on vacation, it is important to keep communications open with the other parent. Set a time where the children can Skype, video chat, or talk on the phone to the other parent. Doing so can help put your ex-spouse’s mind at ease and lets them know the children are having a nice vacation.

Keep in mind your child custody and access agreement may already contain specific provisions regarding vacations with the minor children. If they do, then you will want to review these ahead of time to determine if there is a need to request a change with your ex-spouse. You will want to make sure that you are not in breach of terms of the agreement or a court order.

If your ex-spouse is refusing to allow you take your children on vacation, you may have certain legal rights, like making a formal request to the court. Do not hesitate to speak to a Toronto family law lawyer at Davies Law Firm for further advice. Call us at (613) 688-0462 to schedule a consultation appointment today!