When you have a final placement order, it is important to include a vacation placement schedule. There are numerous options for language to include under a vacation placement provision. It would be wise to have language in your court order explaining what information parents need to exchange concerning vacations with the children. Common examples of information to share include: Hotel/resort/campground where the children will be staying, flight numbers, emergency contact numbers, and dates when the children will be at various locations on a trip. Often, parents will agree to provide the other parent with notice of planned vacations 30 days in advance. Some parents agree on exchanging vacation notices earlier than that; it depends on what works for the family. In case of both parents requesting a vacation over the same dates, it is wise to include ‘tie-breaker’ language.
Something becoming popular in recent years is parents agreeing to have language for a parent-only vacation so that the other parent has the children while the vacationing parent is gone. This is something to consider if parents want the option of an adult-only vacation.
The duration of vacations is typically set by the parents by agreement, but will be done by court order if the parents cannot agree.