Divorced parents may find that their ability to move becomes limited after the separation. They are now co-parents who are sharing custody of their child. This means that they are not allowed to move whenever they want, at least not if they’re going to take that child with them.
To prevent parents from interfering with a co-parent’s custody rights out of spite, the courts will want to know about good faith reasons to move. They can approve the move if they believe it is legitimate. Below are a few examples.
Seeking a better job
If you want to move for a better job, it strengthens your case if you’ve already been offered that job. You can show that taking a different position will lead to higher pay or a better work-life balance, which is best for your child.
Moving to extended family
Another reason that co-parents can sometimes move is if their extended family lives elsewhere. After the divorce, a parent may feel that they need help from the child’s grandparents in order to raise them. They may also simply want to create stronger family relationships between the child and extended family members.
Continuing your education
Similar to taking a job, it can be shown that continuing your education will improve your quality of life. Maybe it will make you eligible for new jobs that you couldn’t take before. If you’re going to school, you may not be able to do it remotely, so a move may be necessary.
You can see that post-divorce life can get fairly complicated, and all co-parents need to make sure they understand their rights and what steps they’ll have to take.