Houston Custodial Child Relocation Lawyer
A custodial parent seeking to move a child outside of the geographic restriction imposed in the original order must first file to modify the order. In Texas, family law judges require strong evidence that the child's best interest will be served if relocation means reduced contact with the non-custodial parent.
Whether you are seeking to file a modification request to move your child, or are seeking to enforce the geographic restriction to not allow the other parent to move with your children, your attorney will need experience gathering facts and evidence. The family law team at Kerr & Hendershot has more than 20 years of experience protecting the rights of parents on both sides of the relocation issue.
Contact our offices in Houston to arrange an initial consultation to discuss your needs and concerns. Your attorney will give you an honest assessment of your current situation and explain the custody laws that affect your case.
Why Is It Necessary to Go Through the Legal Process?
Your child custody decree is a binding court order. It will be enforced to the spirit and the letter of the law, in the event the other party pushes for enforcement. In many cases, a relocation can be worked out between parties informally, but it is not a good idea to not encompass that agreement in a modified court order. In the event of a future confrontation, neither party has a legal leg to stand on. Even if both parents agree to a relocation and make alternate arrangements for parenting time you need to get the new agreement formalized through the modification process.
Do You Have a New Job Offer and Need to Move?
In truth, getting a relocation approved against the wishes of the non-custodial parent is difficult. Often, though, special considerations can be made to accommodate the change. These may include:
- Longer periods of visitation time for the non-custodial parent
- Reduced child support to account for the additional travel costs
- Custodial parent pays for travel costs of child or non-custodial parent
- Right of first refusal to have non-custodial parent provide prolonged care for child
Our lawyers have more than 20 years of experience helping parents resolve their toughest child custody and relocation issues. We fight aggressively to protect our clients' rights, while always looking for fresh solutions that protect the interests of the children involved.
Before you let the emotions of the moment carry you away, contact us to get straight answers. For you convenience, we can meet with you at our offices in Houston or Corpus Christi, Texas. Our Corpus Christi office is by appointment only.
