#TravelingWithKids #ExHusbandIssues #LegalAdviceNeeded
Hey everyone! 🌍✈️ I’m in a bit of a pickle and could really use some advice. I’m supposed to travel to Europe with my kids this Monday, but my ex-husband still hasn’t given me the travel consent form required by our divorce settlement. It’s all out of spite because my boyfriend is coming along on the trip. 😔
Here’s the deal:
– My lawyer says I have every right to travel with my children and there should be no restrictions.
– My ex-husband is being difficult and demanding unnecessary information about my boyfriend for the travel consent form.
– I’ve already paid $5k for this trip and now I’m worried I might get denied by the airline if I don’t have the proper paperwork.
So, do you think I could sue my ex-husband for the cost of the tickets and hotel if I get denied boarding? 🤔
Possible solutions I’m considering:
– Making sure I have all my legal documents in order to prove my right to travel.
– Consulting with my lawyer to see if there are any legal actions I can take against my ex-husband.
– Maybe trying to reason with my ex-husband one last time before considering legal action.
Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help, guys! 💼👩⚖️🤝
Do you have full custody? If so, then a copy of the custody agreement will suffice.
Tell your ex that he won. Your boyfriend is sick of all this and decided not to go to Europe. Now please just sign the paper. Then fly to Europe with your kids and boyfriend.
how does an airline know that you are divorced? When I traveled with my kids when they were younger, it wasn’t the airline, it was customs in the arriving country that had questions about my kids’ travel. If you have the passport for your kids, you will be fine, but customs at the country you travel to MIGHT want to see a letter fro their dad that they can travel. Even then, they might not care.
Does the airline even require his permission for you to travel with your own kids? Almost assuredly no. I agree with your attorney’s advice. Just go. Ignore the ex. Enjoy your trip.
I’d have your attorney file a petition with the courts that he is in violation of the custody agreement. He gave his verbal consent which is legal approval and has violated that agreement by not signing a tangible form.
I would suggest next time, if there is one, you get the signed docs before purchasing travel accommodations.
You don’t mention if the airline has requested written permission. Call the airline and ask if they need two parents permission when traveling internationally with only one parent.
You will be fine, my kids just traveled to Europe with my folks and they didn’t require anything. Don’t stress about it.
If you have vaild passports traveling to the EU, and the kids share the same last name, it’s really unlikely that customs will care. We went through the process of writing a very detailed letter for the kid’s Mom, she delayed signing several times, went through 2 notaries until she was happy and I almost stuck a fork in my eye over the entire thing, but we got the letter. Customs in Zurich looked at passports, saw the kids and my husband share the same name and said have a good holiday.
I often travel overseas with my son without my husband (his dad) and we have never been asked for anything, I used to get a letter from him saying he was ok with us traveling out of the country but after the first 2 times not being asked for it ,we stopped doing it.
I’ve traveled with my son to US, Mexico, back to Canada, Europe and Africa. I have NEVER been asked for any documentation regarding the fathers consent.
However, I have documents proving that the father’s consent is not required, if the situation arises.
Assuming you’re in the US because missing info. Airlines out of the US do not require anything. I’ve traveled with my kids to Australia for 6 MONTHS. Took one of my kids to Paris. We had an agreement that allowed travel so nothing else is necessary. The airline won’t be like “is this your boyfriend?” “Did you get permission to take your kids out of the country?” If they have a passport you already received the ex’s permission to have it. Airlines are not legal arbiters. They have zero interest in your custodial arrangement. If you’re violating a law they have no dog in the fight. That’s between you and the courts.
Assuming it doesn’t interfere with a significant portion of the ex’s visitation you’re fine, and if it does let them sue you later. You told the ex you were going. Courts expect some flexibility in parenting.
If a person was deeply involved in the lives of my children — to the point of traveling out of the country with them — I’d want as much information about them as possible. What would you want to know about any woman (or man) he planned on taking on an international trip with your children??
If he was required by Order to sign necessary paperwork and he hasn’t, I’d file to hold him in contempt of court and your lost expenses are a legitimate damage you can claim.
It wont fix your immediate issue (unless you can convince him to do it or he’ll be in contempt of court) , but it may prevent him from ever pulling a stunt like this again.
The petty in me likes the idea of forcing him to explain to the kids why he wouldn’t let them go to Europe.
I have flown with my son internationally many times without my husband and never been asked for any sort of proof whatsoever. My son also has a different name than me, and at some customs I’m presenting passports of different nationalities (my son has two passports).
The last time we flew out of the US, TSA did ask him a couple of questions (How old are you? Who are you flying with?). He answered that he was flying with mommy and TSA didn’t ask for anything else.
I traveled with my kids without my husband more than once. No one questioned us. Do you have the same last name? Even if you don’t, no one will bat an eye. Just don’t volunteer any information
Just bring a copy of the custody papers with you. Honestly, I flew to Europe with my kid and no one asked any questions even though his last name is different from mine (I still brought a copy of his birth certificate just in case). If your kids have passports you’ll be fine. The only thing your ex can do is maybe call the airline / airport police and tell them you’re illegally taking the kids out of the country which, since he would be lying means he’d be in trouble.
Will you leaving without consent cause future problems in family court? If not then just go?(I suggest check with your divorce attorney) Customs/ airport security won’t care. Unless ex flags you or similar. I travel frequently with my kid without my husband and he’s (my child) is mixed race and have only dads last name , looks nothing like me. No one ever questioned it. And yes we done multiple trips both international and domestic. We also have different passports ( mine is EU, kiddos from the US).. Don’t punish the kids to prove a point if it can be avoided . Enjoy your trip, don’t mention a thing to kids and leave the drama back home in your ex husband’s laundry basket;)
I’ve never needed any documentation to travel with my children overseas. What airline/countries are you going that require this?
My husband just traveled with our kids and our grandson (9, 11 & 7) and all they did was ask the kids for their names and who my husband is to them.
We have kids with different last names for our kids- traveled many many times to Europe and beyond. They can see travel history of a passport- just tell them they can see this is a normal trip. We have been questioned twice ever- once was driving to Canada. My wife was asked if she had permission to take our kids, “I do but we’re actually going to see my husband’s parents so it would be amazing if you denied me entry to have to see them. He’s coming tomorrow and I was just being kind to go early”. Border agent chuckled and let her in. Only other time that flying and permission came up was just with TSA after we had gotten rebooked on another airline and it looked like a one way cash transaction. My ~4 year old was asked, “what’s your name?” “Doren”. “And do you have any other names? Like a last name?” “My dadda sometimes calls me Nipper.” Everyone laughed heartily and we were through.
As with all border questions, it doesn’t usually matter the question or answer. It is important about HOW you answer them! Are you secretive? Hiding anything? If you are honest and just respond HONESTLY, “this is just a standard trip that we’ve done several times previously. I had requested a letter from my husband as per the terms of our divorce agreement; however, due to the fact that I have also invited my boyfriend of X years to come as well, he has refused to provide me such a letter. Here are some emails of my requesting the letter and as you can also see, he just ignores the request and has not said that I and the kids cannot go.”
No airline has EVER asked me if my kids were my kids. If you don’t get that signed paper just go and take your kids like every other family does.