A divorce can be fraught with confrontation and disagreements between you and your spouse. One area that is particularly challenging for divorcing couples to navigate is child custody.

If you have family that lives abroad or you just enjoy traveling with your children, this international travel could pose a unique challenge when it comes to settling on a custody arrangement both you and your spouse agree on.

Talk through these important aspects of international travel as you work to iron out child custody issues in the future.

Length of Travel

One important factor that should be considered when working out the details of international travel with your children is the length of time the children will be allowed to travel. Some couples find it easier to reach an agreement if the duration of an international trip is limited to a reasonable length of time in the child custody arrangements.

In addition to limiting the duration of each individual trip, the number of international trips a child can participate in each year can also be stipulated in the divorce decree. Your attorney can help you determine what is fair when negotiating the length of travel with your spouse.

Destinations

Another important consideration that should be made when negotiating international travel as part of child custody arrangements is the areas to which you want to take your children. Your spouse might be hesitant to give you access to the children if he or she fears that the children will travel with you to countries that could be deemed dangerous.

Geopolitical circumstances are always changing, but some parts of the world will always be considered more dangerous than others. You and your attorney can create a list of countries that are off-limits to help appease your spouse during child custody negotiations.

Spouse Accompaniment

You may find that your spouse is more willing to grant you the authority to travel internationally with the children if he or she is able to accompany you on the trip.

Although your spouse won't be obligated to chaperone international travel, knowing that the ability to come along and ensure the safety of the children is available can help your spouse feel more comfortable. Your attorney can include language in the divorce decree that allows for spouse accompaniment under certain terms and conditions.

A divorce doesn't mean that you have to give up international travel with your children. Work closely with your child custody attorney to ensure that you incorporate international travel into your child custody arrangement.