Plan ahead for passport

A: All U.S. citizens traveling to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada will be required to have a passport beginning January 1, 2006. This requirement also includes children. This is a change from prior travel requirements that currently allow the use of a birth certificate and driver’s license. Most adult travelers can apply at any Post Office or county courthouse at least six weeks ahead of their planned travel date. The fee typically ranges from $60 to $90. This change by the U.S. State Department has significant planning implications for divorced and separated parents who take family vacations outside the U.S. The new passport application rules require that both parents and the child be physically present at the time of application for a passport for a child under the age of 14. Provisions to co-operate in the application and renewal of children’s passports should be included in the separation and marital settlement agreements. OnlineAdviser service will make a prototype language available that can be used in the drafting of marital agreements as an immediate measure. Eventually this provision will likely be incorporated into the “boiler-plate” legal document preparation software commonly used by divorce lawyers and do-it-yourself couples.