Life does not stop after a marriage ends. People have to move forward and sometimes that means needing to relocate. This may come with a change in employment, the need for family support or to start a new relationship — among other things. Whatever the reason, if children are going to be affected by the move, custody rights will come into question. In Ohio, it will be necessary to request any custody changes in a family law court before the move takes place.
The need to relocate does not mean that the parent who is not deemed the primary custody holder will simply lose access to his or her children. Custody orders may be modified so that one can still have some level of physical time with his or her children. However, before an order is adjusted, there are a lot of things that will need to be considered first.
The biggest issue at hand is determining what is best for the affected children. How would the parent-child relationship be affected by a move? Would the custody changes proposed benefit the children or cause more harm than good? These and other questions need to be asked and the answers reviewed before a modification request is approved or denied by the court.
The need to relocate should not affect your custody rights. The court understands that moving is sometimes a necessary part of life. However, this does not mean that the custody changes you desire will be granted. An Ohio family law attorney can help you fight for order adjustments so that you can keep as much physical time with your children as possible despite their or your relocation. To learn more, please visit our firm’s website.