Especially in today’s economy and cultural environment, many people may need to move with their kids at some point in their lives. These moves often may involve going to another town, a neighboring state or even to another part of the country altogether.
While these moves are often important or even necessary for a family, when a parent is subject to a child custody or parenting time order, she is subject to certain legal responsibilities. This is particularly true if she is the parent with whom the children live for most of the time.
First and foremost, a parent should review his court order before he moves. The court order could have specific requirements in it about notifying the other parent about the move, like how advance notice is required and what the details of that notice must include.
Moreover, Colorado law also imposes requirements on all parents. Specifically, a parent who intends to move a significant distance, that is, enough where the other parent’s time with the child is going to be affected, then she must tell the other parent as soon as she reasonably can about the move.
If the other parent objects to the move, then the family law court will consider a number of factors before deciding whether to allow the move. As in all child custody cases, the court’s paramount concern will be the best interests of the child, but the court will also consider why the parent wants to move and why the other parent objects.
A parental relocation case, particularly when there is disagreement afoot, can be a complicated and high-stakes affair. A Broomfield resident planning to move should strongly consider speaking with an experienced family law attorney before doing so.
