4 Things You Should Do Before Your Next Family Vacation (According to an Attorney)
Vacations matter. They’re one of the best ways we reset, reconnect, and support our mental health, especially when life is busy and everyone is stretched thin.
Travel also increases risk. You’re simply more likely to have an accident while traveling because you’re doing unfamiliar things in unfamiliar places. Think surfing, parasailing, hiking, boating, snow sports, driving on unfamiliar roads, drinking, and more time in transit.
And when you travel as a family, there’s a second risk that matters just as much. If something happens to the whole group, the people you would normally count on might not be able to help because they’re with you. That includes your spouse, the grandparents you rely on, or the person you’d want stepping in if there were a medical or financial emergency.
Quick note: This article is general education, not legal advice. Rules vary by state and situation.
That’s why it helps to review a few common planning areas before your next trip, especially if you’re traveling as a group.
At a glance: common items families review before travel
Depending on your state and your situation, families often look at:
A written guardian nomination for minor children (often part of a will, and in some states a separate written nomination may be possible)
A Financial Power of Attorney (your financial decision-maker)
A Health Care Power of Attorney / Health Care Proxy (your medical decision-maker)
1) Write down who you’d want caring for your children
Common document (varies by state): Parents often include a guardian nomination in a will. Some states may also recognize a separate written nomination.
If you have kids, there’s one core question you’re answering: If something happened to both parents, who would raise our children?
Most families assume the answer is obvious. And in many families it is. But “obvious” is not the same as “documented.” In an emergency, there can be disagreement between family members. Schools, hospitals, and courts typically need something more than “this is what they would have wanted” before they can rely on it.
A guardian nomination is one way families record their preference in writing. The goal isn’t to control every detail. The goal is to make your preference clear so the people responsible for decisions aren’t guessing, fighting, or delaying while your child is in limbo.
In practical terms, you’re naming the person you’d want stepping in and caring for your child if you can’t.
2) If your first-choice people are traveling with you, include backups
Here’s the travel issue most people don’t think about: on many family trips, the people you’d normally rely on are physically with you. If you named your child’s grandparents or your sibling as guardian and they’re on the same trip, your plan may not work in a group emergency because the person you chose could also be injured, unreachable, or impacted.
That’s why many families also name one or more backup choices, ideally people who are not on the same trip. You’re not changing your first choice. You’re making sure your plan still works in the specific scenario travel creates, where one incident can affect everyone at once.
3) Consider putting a Financial Power of Attorney in place
A lot of people assume a spouse can automatically step in if something happens. In real life, banks and other institutions may require written authority before they’ll speak with someone or let them act for you.
If you were injured or temporarily unable to manage your life, you would still have bills, accounts, insurance issues, school payments, rent or mortgage, and work-related admin that someone would need to handle.
A Financial Power of Attorney is a common document families use to name the person who can handle financial and administrative tasks if you can’t. It can help your family avoid the “we can’t access anything and we don’t have authority” situation when time and clarity matter.
For travel, the same group-risk point applies. If your primary financial decision-maker is traveling with you, many people also name a backup who is not on the trip so someone can still step in if needed.
4) Consider putting a Health Care Power of Attorney in place
If you couldn’t speak for yourself, someone would need permission to talk to doctors, access information, and make medical decisions on your behalf. Many people assume the hospital will automatically default to a spouse or next of kin, but what actually happens can vary, and hospitals are often cautious about who they will take direction from without clear authority.
A Health Care Power of Attorney (sometimes called a health care proxy or designation of patient advocate) is a common way to name the person you want speaking for you if you can’t communicate or are in a coma.
And again, because travel can create a group emergency, many people also name a backup medical decision-maker who is not traveling with them.
If you’re leaving last minute: quick, practical steps (non-legal)
Even if you don’t have documents ready yet, there are a few practical steps that can make emergencies far less chaotic, and you can do most of them in under an hour.
Make a one-page “In Case of Emergency” sheet and print it
Put it on the kitchen counter, text a photo to a trusted person, and keep a copy in your suitcase.
Include:
Your full names and dates of birth
Your child’s full name, date of birth, allergies, and medications
Pediatrician name and phone number
Health insurance details (even just photos of the cards)
Two emergency contacts who are not traveling with you
Your travel itinerary and where you are staying
How to reach you, plus an “if you can’t reach me, call this person” option
Leave your caregiver a simple travel folder
If your child is staying with someone while you travel, leave a folder with the essentials: insurance info, pediatrician info, allergy and medication list, school or daycare details, and your travel itinerary.
Add any notes that reduce friction, like pickup permissions, bedtime routines, and anything else that would be hard to figure out under pressure.
Make a basic “how to help us” access list
If someone needed to step in tomorrow, what would they get stuck on? The goal isn’t perfection. It’s removing the biggest bottlenecks.
Write down where to find:
Your important documents and how to access them
The primary bank and credit card used for household bills
Mortgage or rent info
Childcare and school contacts
Your employer HR contact (in case someone needs to notify work)
Share location and itinerary with one trusted person (just for the trip)
Pick someone you trust who is not traveling with you, and share your itinerary and a way to reach you. If you’re comfortable, turn on temporary location sharing for the duration of the trip.
This isn’t about surveillance. It’s about making it easier for someone to help if something happens.
Put one calendar reminder in place for after you get home
Most people do nothing because they assume they’ll “circle back,” and then they never do. If you set one reminder for a week after you return, you’re far more likely to follow through while the urgency still feels real.
If you don’t have documents yet: a short-term caregiver question to look into
If you’re traveling soon and your child is staying with a trusted caregiver, some states may offer a short-term caregiver authorization option. Names and requirements vary widely by state, and schools and medical providers may have their own policies.
A practical approach is:
Check your state’s official court, government, or child welfare resources, or a reputable legal aid organization, for caregiver authorization guidance.
Ask your child’s school, daycare, or pediatrician what they will accept for pickup and non-emergency treatment consent while you’re away.
Follow the state or provider instructions exactly.
Leave your caregiver a copy of whatever you complete, plus the practical travel folder (insurance cards, pediatrician info, allergy and medication list, and how to reach you).
Want a calmer, simpler way to put all of this in place?
Mitzi helps women and families get organized around foundational planning in plain English, with clear steps and practical support, including naming guardians and documenting financial and medical decision-makers.
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FAQ
What documents should parents have before traveling?
Depending on your state and situation, many families focus on:
a written guardian nomination so it’s clear who you’d want caring for your children if you can’t
a Financial Power of Attorney so someone you trust can handle financial and administrative issues if you’re incapacitated
a Health Care Power of Attorney / proxy so someone you trust can make medical decisions and speak with doctors if you can’t
If you’re traveling with the people you named, many families also include backups who are not on the trip.
Do I need a will before a trip?
You don’t need everything finalized to take a trip, but it helps to understand what your current documents do and don’t cover.
A will is often where parents include a guardian nomination, which is the part most relevant for travel if you have children.
That said, a will generally doesn’t help with decisions while you’re alive. That’s why a Financial Power of Attorney and a Health Care Power of Attorney matter for travel. Those are documents families commonly use to make it easier for loved ones to help if you’re injured or temporarily unable to manage your affairs.
What happens if both parents are in an accident?
In the real world, the immediate priorities are medical care and child safety, and different institutions have different processes.
The reason many families document guardian preferences is that, in a crisis, loved ones may not agree on what should happen next, and institutions often can’t rely on “this is what they would have wanted” without something in writing.
A written guardian nomination doesn’t eliminate every possibility, but it can help communicate your preference and reduce confusion, conflict, or delays while your child’s care is being sorted out.
If I’m married, can my spouse automatically manage finances if I’m incapacitated?
Sometimes a spouse can help, but it’s not safe to assume they’ll be able to do everything they need to do, especially when banks, insurance companies, employers, and other institutions are involved.
That’s why families often use a Financial Power of Attorney. It’s a common way to name who can step in to handle finances and administrative tasks if you can’t. And because travel can affect both spouses at once, many people also name a backup financial decision-maker who is not traveling with them.
What is a medical power of attorney and when do I need it?
A Medical Power of Attorney (often called a Health Care Power of Attorney or health care proxy) is a common document where you name the person you want making medical decisions for you and speaking with doctors if you can’t speak for yourself.
You may want it anytime there’s a meaningful chance you could be temporarily unable to make decisions, and travel is a common moment when that risk increases. This is also a place where many people name a backup, especially if they’re traveling with their primary medical decision-maker.
What can I do if I’m traveling next week and don’t have documents?
Start with the practical steps in this article, because they help immediately:
create and print a one-page “In Case of Emergency” sheet
leave a travel folder for your caregiver with medical and school information
write a basic “how to help us” access list
share your itinerary with one trusted person who is not traveling with you
If your child is staying with a caregiver, you can also look up whether your state offers a short-term caregiver authorization option. Requirements vary by state and by provider, so the safest approach is to look for official state guidance or reputable legal aid resources, ask your child’s school/pediatrician what they will accept, and follow those instructions exactly.
Is there one thing that matters most if I only have time for one step?
If you have kids, a high-impact place to start is making sure you have a clear guardian plan that works for the specific trip you’re taking, including backups if your first-choice people are traveling with you.
If you don’t have kids, many people start by making sure they’ve documented medical and financial decision-makers, because those are the documents that help loved ones act while you’re alive.
Should I keep copies of these documents with me when I travel?
You want the right people to be able to access them quickly if needed. What matters most is that your chosen people know where the documents are and how to access them.
Some families keep printed copies in a travel folder. Others rely on secure digital storage. The best format is the one that’s easy to find in an emergency.
This article is for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Estate planning laws vary by state. If you need advice for your specific situation, consult an attorney licensed in your state.
