Some Florida couples who get a divorce and who have children may need to decide on parameters around taking international trips with their offspring. This could be because the parent and child have family in another country, or it could simply be because a parent wants to take the child on a trip abroad.
Even if one parent has physical custody of the child, it is likely that there is shared legal custody, and in that case, both parents have a say over the child traveling abroad. If this is likely to be a somewhat regular occurrence, parents may want to address it in the parenting agreement. For example, the agreement may be that the parent and child will leave the country at certain holidays or during a school vacation. The parenting agreement might stipulate that certain information will be shared about the trip as well. This could include the itinerary, who the child will be traveling with and all necessary contact information.
There might also be cases in which another family member, such as a grandparent, wants to take the child out of the country. This could be addressed in the parenting agreement as well.
It may not be a bad idea for a parent traveling alone with a child internationally to have a permission form from the other parent and proof of a parental relationship with the child since airlines may be concerned about a child abduction. A parent who is worried about the other parent taking the child overseas because of the possibility of an international child abduction might want to consult an attorney. Courts generally want to encourage a child’s healthy relationship with both parents after a divorce, but they also want to keep the child safe. Precautions can be taken to ensure the child does not leave the country without both parents’ permission.
