Relocating with a child following a divorce can be a challenging proposition, which is why it helps for parents seeking to relocate following a child custody agreement to be familiar with how those requests are handled by the family law court. Different factors are considered when evaluating a relocation request by one of the parents.
Life changes following a divorce, which is why the family law system serves as an ongoing resource to parents and families. The family law court is able to address relocation concerns as well as child custody modification requests and other divorce-related modifications that may come up. In addition, mediation and collaborative law options can help parents work through some of these concerns with as little acrimony as possible.
A relocation request can be disruptive, which is why relocation requests are carefully considered once they have been made by one of the parents. A relocation request may come up if one of the parents has received a good job offer that would require relocating out of state with the child; if one of the parents has been unemployed and received a job offer in another state; if the relocation would allow the child to be around more family support or if caring for a terminally ill loved one is the purpose of the relocation; or if one of the parents remarries and must move due to the new spouse’s job.
There are a variety of reasons that a relocation request may be made but not all of them will be granted. Because child custody and changes to child custody can be sensitive issues, it helps for parents to know how the family law process looks at relocation requests and when one may be granted.
