Prior to your marriage, you likely felt relatively free to live wherever you wanted. Even after getting married, you and your spouse could make any living decisions you wanted. You could move to other cities or other states at any time.
But this can change after you have a child, especially if the two of you then get divorced. Once you are divorced co-parents, it may get much more difficult to move.
Why is this?
The issue is that you may have to go to court to position them to modify your child custody agreement. After all, it has to fit with your new living situation. Maybe your ex is supposed to see the children every other week. As long as you live nearby, these exchanges are simple. But would the move inhibit your ex’s ability to see the child?
Good faith reasons
One thing to remember is that the court may want to know why you’re seeking to move. Are you just trying to prevent your ex from seeing the child? Or do you have a good reason for the move?
There are many potential reasons you could provide, but they typically have to show that the move would be in the child’s best interests. Perhaps it provides a lower cost of living or allows you to take a job that will increase your income. Maybe the move gives the child a chance to live closer to extended family members who live in another state, and maybe those family members can even help you raise the child after your divorce.
These are just a few examples, and every situation is unique. But the key is to understand that life can be a bit more complicated after a divorce and to ensure that you take all of the necessary legal steps during any of these major transitions in life.