What You Need to Know About Child Relocation

After a divorce or separation, it is not uncommon for one partner to want to move to another area. However, when the partners are parents and share one or more children together, relocating can become extremely complicated.

Certain processes must be followed in order to successfully relocate your child with the court’s approval, or to prevent your partner from relocating your child without your knowledge or permission. Here’s what you need to know about child relocation, and what to do in these circumstances.

Relocating Your Child

If you need to move and have a child with another person, the situation gets exponentially more difficult. Often, only one parent will want to move and the other parent will strongly object to the move. If you need to move in order to keep your job, or for other significant circumstances, you may be granted the right to move with your child by a Florida court.

Preventing the Relocation of Your Child

If you are the parent of a child whose other parent wishes to relocate, you may be upset or nervous about what might happen next. If your child is relocated, it will be significantly more difficult to continue visitation and shared parenting, and your child will lose out on the benefits of having frequent, meaningful contact with both parents.

If your ex-partner is seeking to relocate with your child, you do have legal options. You may be able to have the Florida family courts issue an order that says your child cannot be relocated outside of a certain geographical area, usually the city that both parents currently live in.

A Note For Both Parents

Regardless of which side of the issue you are on, it is absolutely imperative that you work with an experienced child relocation attorney before you do anything. Relocating your child without the other parent’s or the court’s permission can have dire consequences, as well as refusing to return the child after a visitation in an attempt to prevent the other parent from moving with the child. If the child is relocated or not returned after visitation, the consequences are severe, and may even include criminal kidnapping charges.

By working with a seasoned family law attorney, you can follow the necessary steps to relocate or prevent the relocation of your child without risking a potentially more negative outcome. An attorney can assist you in petitioning the court to be granted the right to move with your child, or to have an order that prevents the relocation of your child.

Attorney Donna Bucholz, P.A. is a compassionate family lawyer who understands the difficulties presented by child relocation cases. She is able to provide you with the comprehensive legal representation you need to increase the chances your case will be resolved in your favor.