3 ways to solve co-parent vacation issues

Summer is a great time of year to go on vacation with your child. Without the scheduling issues that school presents, you can arrange longer getaways.

But, those who share custody of their children with an ex may run into obstacles. Here are a just a few to be ready for.

Schedule disputes

Vacations are usually accounted for in a custody agreement. However, things don’t always go to plan. A missed flight, emergency circumstance or unexpected expense could throw off vacation plans, causing a co-parent to rework their schedule.

While this can be frustrating, it’s best to keep your child’s best interests at the forefront of your mind. If the co-parent will get more parent time out of the vacation due to a hiccup, talk about ways you can make the time up with your child.

On the other hand, if the other parent consistently breaks the custody agreement, you should consider changing the terms of the plan in court.

Safety Concerns

One parent wants to take their child to an amusement park, while the other parent fears for the safety risks. These types of disputes are all too common. Is there anything a parent with safety concerns can do?

In most cases, each parent has the right to establish their own rules during their parent time. So long as the situation isn’t considered child endangerment, you won’t be able to control which activities your child can and can’t do while in the other parent’s care.

Cost of transportation

If your ex wants to take your child on vacation, they may ask you to do some extra driving to make times work out. In some cases, an ex may even ask you to help with other travel expenses, such as the cost of a flight.

Legally, neither you or your ex are obligated to supply one another with money outside of your child support agreement. If your child’s summer vacation will cost you more for a flight, you should save up for the expense.