At last Spring seems to have arrived and the sight of the sun in a blue sky makes my thoughts turn to summer holidays abroad. If minor children will be travelling abroad this summer without both parents then you should act now to make sure that holiday plans are not disrupted. As the gov.uk website say : "You must get the permission of everyone with parental responsibility for a child or from a court before taking the child abroad. Taking a child abroad without permission is child abduction." Examples might be where a child goes on holiday with only one parent; or with grandparents or with their best friend's family.
As a notary, I can help draw up a letter from those with parental responsibility granting consent for a child to go abroad. Such a letter may be requested when the child leaves the UK, or when the child tries to enter a foreign country.
If someone with parental responsibility refuses to give consent, or cannot be traced then an application to the Court will be necessary. This will require specialist advice from a solicitor well versed in these sort of applications and is something that, as a notary, I cannot help with.
