The New York Times featured Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton family law partner Joshua Northam in an article focused on safety and compliance tips for families traveling with children during the upcoming holiday season. 

The article includes accounts of T.S.A. agents detaining and questioning parents and their young children in order to establish a familial relationship — which frequently happens when a parent does not share their child’s last name or skin color. Given these recent airport incidents, Mr. Northam advises carrying a child’s identifying documents to help mitigate any potential issues with airport security. 

“I always tell clients to carry with them the child’s birth certificate and any passport in the child’s name,” Mr. Northam told the New York Times. “When custody battles are afoot, parents should also have the ‘consent to travel’ form often required by existing court orders.” 

The need to carry such documentation could be elevated in cases where parents are divorced or involved in custody disputes. 

Click here to read the full article.