Vacation is a part of life in the United States.  Whether it is a “staycation”, weekend away, or an overseas excursion, vacations are crucial for individuals and families to relax and unwind. However, if you have a custody agreement, you need to know whether your parenting plan allows for vacation plans with your children.

Are Your Travel Plans Part of the Agreement?

Before planning your trip, it’s essential to check your child custody agreement. Your custody orders may have restrictions or certain obligations before taking your trip. Some of these restrictions include:

As a Fort Worth family law attorney, I get many questions about child custody modifications because circumstances often change and what made sense in the prior order may no longer be in your child’s best interest.

In some cases, that change is dramatic, such as one of the parents going to jail. Sometimes, sadly, a parent has become physically abusive to the child or children, and quick action must be taken.   This involves an emergency restraining order and a hearing within 14 days.

In other cases, circumstances gradually change, and the old custody arrangements no longer work. For example, a parent who was designated as primary parent may have relinquished that role to the other parent.  Or, the non-primary parent may be able to exercise additional visitation than they were able to do when the prior order was signed.