When parents get divorced and establish custody arrangements, they also need to consider how they will handle transportation for visitation periods. It will help everyone involved if your custody arrangement is extremely specific about transportation, as this will help visitation go significantly more smoothly.

Here are some elements that your visitation plan should include:

• Punctuality: There should be specific times arranged for visitation, and both parents should agree to be punctual. The custodial parent should have the children ready for the visit, and the visiting parent should be at the transfer location on time.
• Transfer location: In most cases, the transfer location will be the home of the children, but one parent could also pick up the children at school. If you and your ex do not get along with each other and believe it would be a bad idea to have transfer locations at one of your homes, then you can arrange for neutral locations, such as a church, social services office or police station. There might be fees for neutral transfer locations, so be sure to keep that in mind as you engage in the planning.
• Transportation responsibility: Who will be picking the children up or taking them to the visitation site? There should be clear expectations of responsibility in this area.
• Safety: Parents should agree that children are to wear seatbelts at all times, and both parents should have all of the appropriate child restraints, car seats or boosters.
• Long-distance transportation: If one parent lives far away, then you should plan out when children are able to travel by themselves, who is to be responsible for paying bus or plane tickets, the kinds of supervision they’ll need during transportation and more.

Speak with an experienced Maryland child custody attorney at Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A. for more information and guidance on sound visitation schedules.