Although a divorce and child custody dispute may be settled, there can be future issues that come up due to the previous arrangement. Following a divorce and child custody agreement, a court order might require the parents to live in a certain geographic area. If a parent wants to move to a new area, that parent may need to go back to court to petition for parental relocation. This situation can arise where the parents have a joint managing conservatorship.
Texas family courts typically assign one parent to be the custodial parent in the joint managing conservatorship of minor children. This arrangement has the child living in both residences and gives each parent equal power to make decisions in the child’s life. There is usually one stipulation that accompanies this type of arrangement. Typically, the parents agree that each other’s homes must remain in a certain geographic area. This could cause conflict if one parent needs to relocate outside of the agreed-upon geographic area.
There could be many reasons a parent may want to relocate. A court order may prevent parental relocation outside of a specific area so a parent may need to file a petition with a Texas court in order to change the previous decision. A few reasons a parent may need to relocate include:
- You lost your job and your only employment opportunities are in another city or state
- You have remarried and your new spouse has been transferred to another city or state
- Your ex-spouse has shown a pattern of abusing or harassing you
- Benefits to the child, including educational or emotional
These are just a few legitimate reasons to seek parental relocation. In most cases, there is a previous court decision that binds the parents to a specific decision. Each child custody case is different. It is best that the parents work together to come to a solution. This ensures the healthiest environment for the child in question.