Holidaying After Divorce: 3 Things To Remember
Never has the topic of the family holiday been more in focus than in the modern-day, post-pandemic. But taking holidays after a divorce is something that we don’t necessarily think too much about. For those couples that are in the process of getting divorced, many parents might not be aware that taking their children into another country without the correct permissions could have dire consequences. But also, what do you need to think about when it comes to having your first holiday with the children, and you’re not a family unit anymore?
Ensure You Get the Right Permissions
The first thing to remember is if you’re taking your children on holiday if you do not have the proper consent, or the required legal responsibility for your child, if you take your child out of the country, it could be considered abduction. It is important to work with the relevant solicitors to get the appropriate permissions from the court, such as a Child Arrangement Order. If you are the child’s mother, you automatically have parental responsibility, but for fathers in the equation, it is important to note that they will have parental responsibility if they were married to the mother, if they are listed on the birth certificate after 1 December 2003, or if they’ve been granted parental responsibility by the court.
What Happens If You and Your Ex Don’t Agree?
If you want to travel abroad, and your ex-partner doesn’t agree, you will need to get permission from the court, this is known as a Specific Issue Order and involves informing the court about numerous aspects of the trip, including why you want to go, who is going with you, the time you are away, accommodation arrangements, and so forth. It is important for you both to work together, and naturally, this can be difficult when there are disagreements, but it is always important to remember, that legally speaking, you’ve got to have everything covered.
Going on Your First Holiday After Divorce
It is going to be a time of mixed emotions for the children. The important thing for you to do is to not try and erase the memory of the other parent, but allow your children the opportunities to process it in their own way. A holiday should be a fun time, but there could be moments when your child goes quiet, or withdrawn, but don’t try to force them to have fun, and realise that this could very well be part of them processing the fact that it is not going to be the same again. You can inject the holiday with as much fun as possible, but remember that these are wounds that may take time to heal, all will not heal at all.
The idea of going on holiday when you are divorced is a lot more difficult, especially when you’ve got more finances to save up, but you’ve got to be aware that the children are going through their own emotional journey at this point.
