A move-away is when one of the parents wishes to relocate the children out of the county to another adjoining county, to another country, or somewhere in between, but away from the other parent. A move away involves balancing the harm to the children when they are separated from the other parent.
One parent does not under our law have the right to deprive the other parent from meaningful contact with the other parent. Some parents think they can simply move away to another county or state, taking the children with them, without a court order. This can be a reason to change custody or a court order for return of the children to where they were living prior to the move. A move away can be a substantially court litigated fight that extends over many months.
Many parents who are faced with a move away issue need to understand that it is crucially important that they get legal counsel and advice from us immediately before the case is in motion and it is too late to repair the direction it is heading. Our team includes Jefferson Stacer, a very experienced family law attorney and Dr. Deena Stacer, a very experienced parent-child educator. If you take action early, it is possible to successfully prevent the move or help assist with the move. We may be able to help you avoid terrible litigation and the expensive costs associated with a highly litigated court case where everyone loses because of the hurt, pain and drama associated with the litigation.