What do you need to know about vacations and child custody in Louisville? Whenever the Court imposes a child custody and visitation order – temporary or permanent – it establishes specific guidelines regarding the role of each co-parent and specific rules and/or understandings regarding specific events in a child’s life such as holidays, birthdays and vacations. This usually includes requirements regarding notification to the other co-parent and in many times the Court itself if you intend to take your child(ren) out of state and especially out of the country.
If you are still in the midst of a divorce there are specific things you need to know about vacations and child custody in Louisville. During a divorce, a parent sharing custody is usually ordered not to take a child out of the State of Kentucky without advanced written permission from the other parent, and quite often, the Court itself. It is always a sound idea to have a brief outline of your itinerary, dates and the permission of the other parent notarized to protect your own interests.
What happens if the other parent won’t agree to your travel or vacation plans? We must ask the Court to weigh in on the matter and approve a vacation which should be in the best interests of the child(ren). The Court will often ask a few questions and this is especially true if the child(ren) will be taken out of the United States. Here in Louisville there are many families with important relationships on both sides of the border. However, in the event of an ongoing divorce case, and after child custody and visitation orders have been issued you need to have a clear understanding of what is required in order to plan any vacation involving a child when sharing custody with another parent.
Your child custody and visitation orders may actually establish specific dates and occasions (such as summer vacation) and whether or not a parent is authorized to leave the state or the country with a child. In some cases, a co-parent may be able to travel outside of Kentucky or the US without the need for written permission from the other co-parent. However, in many cases the Court requires you to get written authorization from the other co-parent and the Court itself before taking the child out of Kentucky or across an international border. Leaving the area with a child without the Court’s authorization can result in serious consequences including the loss of any custody and visitation and as severe as kidnapping charges.
Vacations and child custody orders require careful consideration, planning and communications. Every situation is unique and this is why it is important to thoroughly understand where things stand in your own case. We invite you to review the strong recommendations of our former clients and contact us or call 502-584-1108 to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced divorce and family law attorneys.
