Coparenting and Travel – Steps co-parents should take when travelling with their child

If you have plans to travel with your child, it can be wise to take steps now to prepare. Following are some coparenting and travel tips on what you can do to travel legally and safely with your child if you and the other parent share parental rights.

Get permission

Does the other parent know about your plans? Have they given their permission? If not, now can be a good time to write to them about the trip.

If they don’t agree to let your child travel with you, turn to the dispute resolution mechanism stipulated in your separation agreement or court order.  No such thing for you?  Ok then, you can request permission from the courts. 

If you leave the province or country without following the proper procedures, you could face serious consequences. The exception to this is if you have a parenting plan or court order that states you can travel freely with your child.

Prepare your schedule

Put together your anticipated schedule.  Share it with the other parent,  Depending on your relationship with the other parent, the court order or the parenting plan, the schedule can include basic details about where you are going or be more comprehensive.

Consider including:

• Travel arrangements (e.g., transportation details, arrival and departure times, etc.)
• Address for your accommodations
• An itinerary with information on excursions or special events
• How the other parent can reach you or your child 

Bring paperwork

Parents can wind up experiencing significant delays or even be denied entry into a country if there are questions or concerns about whether they are travelling with their child legally.

You can minimize the risk of these unfortunate scenarios by having relevant paperwork with you when you travel. Such items can include:

• Letter of permission
• A copy of your parenting plan
• Your child’s passport
• Court orders 

These documents can prevent confusion, especially if you and your child have different last names or addresses.

Travelling as a co-parent is a different experience than travelling as a married parent. When you take these steps to prepare, the trip can go as smoothly as possible.