After the divorce, maybe you want to move away to pursue your education — and the demands on your resources prevent you from bringing your kids along. Or, maybe your ex-spouse wants to relocate somewhere with the kids, and you don’t want to deny them the obvious benefits and opportunities they can obtain from the move.
Either way, you need a plan so that you can stay connected to your children and remain an involved parent. Thanks to modern technology, it’s now more possible than ever to parent at a distance. Here are some suggestions that you may want to consider as you renegotiate your parenting plan with your ex:
- Preserving your parental bond through daily, scheduled contact: Through your parenting plan, you can set up a time to speak with your kids for a few minutes every day via phone, video conference or chat.
- Remote visiting on special occasions: On your child’s birthday, your birthday and other important days when family togetherness matters, you can arrange to be included in the celebration via a video call.
- Extended holiday visitation times: It’s reasonable to ask for extra time with the kids during the summer months (when school isn’t an issue) and on holiday breaks if they live with their other parent most of the time.
- Sharing the cost of travel for visitation: Just because you live at a distance, that doesn’t mean you should have to shoulder the entire financial burden that comes with your child’s travels between you and your ex-spouse. You may need to negotiate a fair split of the costs.
If you’re contemplating a relocation without your children or your ex-spouse wants to relocate and take the kids along, find out how an experienced advocate can help you preserve your relationship with the kids.