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Articles Posted in Relocation with minor children

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Relocating from Florida with minor children can often times present a challenging situation.  The Court must engage in a balancing test between the rights of the parent wishing to relocate against the rights of the stay behind parent. Ultimately, the judge must decide the issue based on the best interests of the minor children.

The judge’s discretion however, is not unlimited or unchecked.  The trial judge is bound to follow the mandates of the Florida relocation statute, found in Florida Statue 61.13001.

The relocation statute includes a list of ten (10) factors that the judge hearing the case is required to consider. No one factor is more important than any other.  The judge will hear evidence on all of the various factors, and do what is best for the children.

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A child custody and parenting plan order will set out many different guidelines about how you and your child’s other parent should share parental rights and responsibilities while your children are still dependents. These guidelines can involve primary physical custody, visitation schedule, how you will share in making decisions for your child, and much more. However, there are situations in which the circumstances of one parent may change and the provisions of the custody agreement are no longer feasible. One common change in circumstances is the need or want to move the child to another area of Florida or even to another state. There are many legal issues involved in child relocation and you should always seek the assistance of an attorney if relocation has become an issue in your case.

If You Agree to Relocation

If a parent plans to take a child over 50 miles away for more than 60 days, Florida law states they must obtain permission to do so from the other parent. In some situations, the other parent may simply agree to the relocation. Even so, the parents must submit an agreement to the court for approval before the move can take place. This agreement must also set out the new visitation and time-sharing schedule for after the move.

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The state of Florida and particularly South Florida, is a melting pot of many diverse individuals from all around the world.

Due to the great diversity of people, you frequently see many Americans marrying people from foreign countries. When these couples have children, divorce can bring about some serious issues regarding the stability of the minor children.

Divorce frequently creates a considerable amount of anger between the parents, and the minor children are often times used as pawns by the parents.

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Under Florida law, minor children are not permitted to move more than 50 miles away from their current residence, unless written consent is provided by a parent, or by court order.

An interesting situation arises when a minor child wishes to attend a private school in a out-of-state location. The obvious question becomes whether or not the attendance at this new school would be considered a relocation, thereby requiring the parent to comply with Florida Statute 61.13001.

The answer to that question was recently addressed in the case of Blakely v Blakely, 38 Florida Law Weekly D2170c. In that case the court deemed the attendance of the child at an out-of-state high school to be an educational decision for the child and not one of relocation, therefore the relocation statute in Florida was not applicable.

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Moving from the state of Florida with minor children without permission can have serious consequences. The rules for relocation from the state of Florida are found in Florida Statutes 61.13001.

If the “stay behind” parent consents to relocation, make sure that consent is given in writing. stock-photo-18805289-boarding-pass.jpg If consent is not given, relocation must be initiated by the parent seeking to relocate, by filing a petition in the Circuit Court that currently has jurisdiction over the parties.

The petition must include a substantial amount of information, including the complete address of the intended new residence; telephone numbers, the reason for the requested relocation, and if for employment purposes, should include a copy of the employment offer.

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Time haring with minor children in Florida is keeping up with technology. As a matter of fact, there is a specific statute in Florida that deals precisely with this issue.

Florida Statute 61.13003 is titled as “Court ordered electronic communication between a parent and a child.

This type of communication can be ordered by the court when the situation is appropriate. Some of the court ordered factors that are considered are whether it would be in the best interests of the child; whether or not the electronic equipment is readily available and affordable to the parties involved; and any history of drug use or domestic violence involved in the case.

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The divorce process becomes more complicated when there are minor children involved. This is especially true when one parent wishes to relocate.

Relocation with minor children in Florida is governed by Florida Statute 61.13001.

If a parent wishes to relocate from south Florida cities such as Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, or from anywhere else in Florida, they must comply with Florida Statute 61.13001 if the move is more than 50 miles from their current residence.

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Relocating with minor children involves the consideration of many factors by the court.

Although there are many factors involved in this process for the court to consider, the primary factors often become the extent of the involvement of the non relocating parent, the payment history of any child support obligation, and of course, the reason for wanting to relocate.

If relocation is premised upon a good employment opportunity, the chances for a successful petition are increased.

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1064682_airbus_a380.jpgIn today’s economy, we see more and more people struggling to find employment. As a result, people are searching over a broader market area then they would normally be looking at, and as a result, more employment opportunities become available to individuals in other states.

This brings up the ever difficult decision a trial judge must face when a parent seeks to relocate with the minor children to another state, or to a new residence that is a substantial distance from their current residence.

Most frequently this situation will arise due to new employment opportunities that may be available to one of the parents.

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airplane desktop.jpgFlorida, and in particular south Florida, is suffering from the economic downturn experienced by the rest of the country. Foreclosures are at an all time high in Palm Beach and Broward County; families are losing their homes at an unprecedented pace.

This situation makes relocation a very real possibility for many families after divorce. Single parents are looking for better opportunities for themselves as well as for their children. As a result, trial judges are dealing more frequently with the very difficult issue of relocation. Relocation cases are extremely difficult since most often times there is little to negotiate and there is no room to compromise. One parent wants to go, while the other would prefer that his or her children remain in close proximity.

Relocation cases must be dealt with when the issue arises; it is not appropriate for the court to consider a relocation case today when the anticipated move will occur sometime in the future. See Sylvester v. Sylvester, 992 So.2d 296 (Fla 1st DCA 2008).

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