Including Time of Day for Travel and What to do in the Event of Delay
Including Time of Day for Travel and What to do in the Event of a Delay – Part 6
Including Time of Day for Travel and What to do in the Event of Delay
Parents also may want to include the time of day that travel is to begin and when the children are to arrive home. It is in the children’s best interests to be brought back home early in the evening if the next day is a school day. While it seems that parenting plans can be micro-managed, it’s the better practice to have all of this in writing. Keep in mind that a congenial ex-spouse today could be more difficult tomorrow. Your family lawyer will advise you to be smart and spell out as much as possible in the parenting plan so that trips to court to settle arguments can be avoided.
The plan may include something about delays, such as driving through “rush hour” or if something unexpected happens. The idea is not to punish the delayed parent. The plan could include requiring the traveling parent to inform the other parent of the delay. This can be done by text-message or by phone. The children should not be the messenger. It is not in their best interests to be put in that position. If you don’t want to speak to your ex-spouse, agree to text each other. It’s only right for the other parent to be informed of a delay. Communication by e-mail while you’re on the road can be acceptable if you both have access to the Internet, although a phone call or text-message is more certain to be received. However you and your former spouse agree to communicate during a delay will probably be accepted by the court so long as the message gets to the other parent in a reasonable amount of time. If you and your former spouse don’t need to know about delays, it can be left out of the parenting plan.
Additional Parts of Tennessee Long-Distance Parenting Plans: A Roadmap for Relocation:
- Smart Travel Plans for Parents’ Long Distance Visitation
- Resolving Children’s Travel Issues Before They Become Problematic
- Figuring out How Much Parenting Time is Feasible for Your Family
- Make-Up Parenting Time and Flexibility
- Denial of Parenting Time and an “Override Option”
- Including Time of Day for Travel and What to do in the Event of a Delay
- Scheduling Conflicts, Communication with Children and Special Needs
