Child Relocation in Olympia

After a parenting plan is finalized and the divorce is over, relocating a child can be challenging. Parenting plan laws in Washington deal with issues that involve relocating children, but they are often difficult to understand and confusing. This is because every parenting plan issue is unique.

If you are hopeful that relocating with a child is possible, or you want to prevent an ex-spouse from relocating with your child, then you can get help from our Olympia child relocation attorneys.

With professional assistance your chances of a favorable resolution increase substantially, and our Thurston County child relocation lawyers are experienced in handling parenting plan issues in family court. It’s important to remember that in Washington State a parent can relocate a child if they follow the proper statutory notice requirements. Our Olympia divorce lawyers have more than five decades of experience helping create and modify parenting plans in family court, and can help you with these often sensitive issues.

A parent can relocate without consent from a judge, but the court will still have to determine whether the child will be permitted to move with them. Before making any plans you need to understand the law, and this is where our Olympia parenting plan attorneys can start being of service. No matter what, you are required to follow the stipulations of your parenting plan, so our Olympia child relocation attorneys will make sure your actions follow the letter of the law.

If you're hoping to relocate a child as a custodial parent, you must give adequate notice of the move to anyone with visitation rights. This usually includes the noncustodial parent, and may include other parties. Sixty days is usually enough time, but you must also include the reasons why you want to move and where you plan on moving.

The noncustodial parent then has 30 days to file an objection to the relocation, unless the move is taking place within the child's current school district. The custodial parent cannot move the child during this 30 day period without a court order or when special circumstances apply. If there is no objection, then the court will likely approve relocating the child.

Still, Washington law leans in favor of allowing children to relocate. To prevent this, the noncustodial parent must prove that the move will have a detrimental effect on the child that outweighs any positives. The court will weigh a variety of factors including the needs of the child and the nature of their relationship with each parent.

Because these situations can get very complicated, it's wise to work with a Washington child relocation attorney that you trust.

The final decision as to whether a child will be permitted to relocate with a parent is decided by a judge in family court, but many facts are likely to be considered. Every judge is going to render a decision that they believe is in the best interests of the child. To make this decision, the judge will consider the details of the existing parenting plan and the health of the current parent’s relationship. There are many other details that could be considered by the judge, and our Olympia divorce lawyers can help you ensure that you’re prepared.

Preventing a child from relocating is possible, but it can be challenging depending on the circumstances. The situation becomes even more difficult when both parents share custody of the child equally. In such cases, you need the dedication and experience that our Olympia divorce lawyers offer. Your parenting plan helps protect the well being of your children, so make sure it is treated with the seriousness it deserves with help from our Olympia child relocation lawyers.

Our Olympia child relocation lawyers offer a free case evaluation where you can get more information about relocating a child, and what you might expect in your case. The relocating of a child can be a difficult experience for many parents, but our Olympia divorce lawyers will compassionately handle these cases with your best interests at heart.

Contact our Olympia parenting plan attorneys today and get a head start on your family law case.