Getting divorced can be a major turning point in your life. You may seek to make other changes at the same time. For instance, perhaps you have always dreamed of living overseas or in a different state.
If you and your spouse did not have any children, then moving is easy. Once the divorce has concluded, you are free to move if you wish. You do have to adhere to any court orders—such as making alimony payments to your ex—but it should not cause any problems if you want to relocate.
If you have children together, however, then things can get a bit more complicated.
Adhering to the custody schedule
The key thing to remember is that you still have to stick to the custody schedule that the court ordered. Say that the child custody arrangement states you will have the kids for one week, and your spouse will have them the following week. If the two of you live relatively close to each other, you can make these exchanges. But if you move to another state or another country, it could become impossible.
That does not necessarily mean that you can’t move—it just means that you need to go to the court first and request a modification of the child custody schedule. Make sure you do not just take the kids and relocate on your own, preventing your ex from seeing them, as that would be a violation of the standing court order.
It is important to get the details right, so be sure you know exactly what legal steps to take. It can help to have an experienced law firm on your side.
