This is the next post in a series of articles discussing child relocation requests when a father is forced to move outside of Illinois to accept new employment. My previous post provided an overview of the topics to be discussed throughout the series. It also stressed the importance of contacting an experienced family law attorney to assist you with preparing your relocation request. A dad who is forced to move out of state for employment reasons and wishes to relocate with his child must obtain the advance permission of the court. This article will discuss how the need to move quickly for immediate reemployment may impact this process. If you need assistance, contact my office to speak to a Peoria fathers’ rights lawyer.
Few family law cases are as hotly disputed as a request for relocating with a child outside of the state. For obvious reasons, the opposing parent will be concerned about diminished access to their child and vigorously challenge the request. The requesting party, on the other hand, often has legitimate reasons to move and views the other parent as a roadblock. Neither party is ultimately happy with the outcome. In any relocation case, the court will review the request to determine whether the move is in the child’s best interest. When the motivation for the move is immediate reemployment, the court will weigh that factor in its analysis. The ability to provide for one’s child financially is important, wherever one resides. Financial support is only one of many factors, however, that the court will consider. A parent seeking to move quickly for purposes of taking a new job must present as much information as possible at the preliminary hearing to demonstrate that relocation will be in the child’s best interest.
The court will be extremely cautious when a person seeks expedited approval to relocate for vague employment reasons, such as a better job market in the new location. Urgent reemployment requests should be based on job offers or on concrete job opportunities in a specific area. In addition, the court will consider the parent’s relocation plan. Even when prepared on an expedited basis, the more concrete information shared with the court, the better the chance of being granted a temporary relocation order. If available, the court will be interested in details about living arrangements, school systems, and family or friends in the new location. Depending upon how far away the child will be moving, the court may be concerned about the impact on the other parent’s ability to maintain a meaningful relationship with the child after the move. The relocation plan should include a realistic visitation schedule, complete with travel details, digital calls, or other methods of communication. As in all custody-related cases, factors such as the parent’s ability to meet the child’s needs, compliance with existing support and visitation orders, criminal history, etc. will be considered by the judge.
If you are considering relocating or need to oppose a co-parent’s relocation request, contact my office today to schedule an initial consultation with a fathers’ rights attorney. In addition to Peoria, I serve clients in the cities of Bloomington, Eureka, Galesburg, Morton, Normal, Pekin, Springfield, and Washington. I also serve the counties of Fulton, Knox, LaSalle, Marshall, Mason, McLean, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford.