How Parent Relocation Affects Child Custody Orders
Whenever a married couple calls it quits and undertakes a legal separation or divorce, a decision must be made about the child’s custody. In the UK, there are many channels to follow. The first one is to present their case before a judge in court. The parents can also involve a mediator or simply agree among themselves for a child custody arrangement.
Based on the GOV.UK guidance, once the parents enter into the child custody arrangement, they agree that it is enforceable and legally binding. For the children’s sake, many judges will rule in favor of both parents to access their children whenever it is appropriate. Along the career paths, either of the parents or both of them might be required to relocate.
For instance, if one parent is working in a location-based casino and is required to relocate to a new branch in another city, such a move will interrupt the children’s laid-down schedule for visitation and custody. Luckily most land-based casinos have diversified into the online sphere. Vegasslotsonline highlights most of these gambling sites and the available bonuses, including welcome offers and no deposit bonuses. Players also have access to a wide range of payment methods such as e-wallets and cryptocurrencies. With most businesses shifting towards digitalization, employees now have the flexibility of working from home which is beneficial to parents who want to spend more time with their children.
If you don’t have the option of working remotely, you should assess the impact of relocation. More importantly, you must seek legal guidance to understand the consequences of moving when you have a binding agreement.
What To Consider Before Moving And Sharing Child Custody
For separated or divorced couples with relocation plans, there are specific steps discussed at Wiselaw, which you can follow to comply with the child custody order and make the process easier. They include:
Assess the needs of your child- As a parent, the needs of your child are paramount. Think through your transfer process and establish whether your child’s interests will be addressed.
Evaluate personal motives- Ensure that your aim to move is genuine and it doesn’t carry any intentions to interfere with the other parent’s visitation program.
Review the child custody plan- Go through your plan and see if the clauses cater to your relocation. You may be surprised that your decision to relocate is impractical and distorts the child custody schedule. The other parent could argue that their visitation rights have been infringed.
Prepare for a court hearing- In case you are needed in court to solve the issues, you should look for the services of an attorney to help you weigh the options. You can get contacts and recommendations from the best lawyers at Halt.org. A reliable lawyer will file a motion on your behalf and advise you if you still stand a chance to move away.
Provide sufficient notice- Prepare a written notice and communicate to the other parent that you intend to move. For legal compliance, you need to send this notice which may be used if issues arise in the future.
Factors To Be Considered By The Court When You Are Relocating
Your decision to file a motion in court will be analyzed by the judges based on the needs and welfare of the children. If your relocation poses significant harm or inconveniences to your children, there is every chance that the motion will be turned down. You can learn more on ‘Child Arrangement’ at FLiP.
Many states empower the custodial parent to move with the children. Still, if the other parent is not in favor of the relocation, the court demands evidence that will prove that their children’s welfare has not been taken into consideration. Some of the factors that the court will use in its judgment include:
Age of the children– in a case where a child has pursued high school in one region and has completed a significant part of their schooling, the court will turn down any relocation attempts as it will interrupt the child.
Community involvement or ties– sometimes you may have a child involved in church groups, activities in school, or any other extracurricular activities. Likely, the court will not allow you to move with a child if they are members of the school’s sports team under a scholarship for example.
Educational needs or special health– if you have a child with a medical condition and your current area offers better healthcare, the court will put an injunction to the move.
The child’s preferences– in some court instances, the judge may seek the opinion of your children, whether they want to move or stay behind. If they are not willing to relocate, the judge will pass a discretionary verdict according to the child’s wishes.
Despite the above factors, the custodial parent may show up in court with sufficient evidence that the children will be offered a better life than what they have in their current location. In this case, the court may grant permission to relocate, with the other parent being offered visitation rights.
