Thanksgiving is coming soon, and it is considered the busiest travel day of the year as people take to the road and sky to spend the holiday with family. If you are divorced with a child, you may want to take your child on a Thanksgiving road trip. But do you need to get the permission of the child’s other parent to do so?
Check your child custody order
First, check your child custody order. It may say which parent has the child on Thanksgiving or it could contain provisions for taking the child on extended trips.
For example, if it is your spouse’s turn to spend Thanksgiving with your child you may need to get their permission to have the child with you instead Thanksgiving Day. Even if it is your turn to spend Thanksgiving with your child, your child custody order may say you need the other parent’s consent to take the child out of state. Follow your child custody order when it comes to traveling for the holidays.
Do I need to seek permission from the court?
If your child custody order is silent on the topic of holidays or travelling, or if your travel plans would interfere with the other parent’s parenting time, you may need to obtain permission from the court to travel with your child. Doing so would allow you to travel without gaining permission from the other parent. If the other parent cannot be found you must be able to show that you tried everything you could to locate them, but they could not be found.
You may want to travel with your child this Thanksgiving, but keep in mind that additional steps may need to be taken if you are divorced. If you need to obtain the permission of your child’s other parent or the court, it is important to do so well in advanced of the holiday, to avoid confusion and conflict.