Houston Lawyer for Parent Relocations with Children

Attorney Serving Fort Bend County Explains Rules for Moving Away with Children

Sharing custody and possession of your children comes with many challenges. One such challenge is for both parents to find homes and jobs in the same area so that the children can maintain a close relationship with both parents. In fact, most joint custody orders require a child's primary residence to remain within a limited geographic area. But what if the parent having the primary residence of the child wants to relocate for a job opportunity, remarriage, or perhaps to move closer to other family members? When this parent wants to relocate outside the designated area, court approval will be necessary to modify your child custody order.

At The Foray Firm, we will always represent your best interests and your point of view regarding the best interests of your children. Whether you are the parent wishing to relocate or the one objecting to a relocation of your children, we can help.

We have more than a decade of experience in assisting families with major transitions such as divorce and changes in child custody arrangements. Our top attorneys have personal experience as divorced parents and truly care about helping our clients complete these transitions successfully.

We will examine the details of your situation and prepare strong arguments for your side of the child relocation argument, considering all possible advantages and disadvantages of the move and its impact on your children.

Texas Law on Child Relocation

The attorneys of The Foray Firm Houston will help you deal with any necessary changes to your child custody and visitation order, including those related to child relocation.

Your first concern probably involves how relocation will affect your time with your children, particularly if you have joint managing conservatorship and currently have a near-equal share of physical possession of the children. One thing you have to remember is that joint conservatorship does not require near-equal periods of physical possession or access, per Texas Family Code section 153, so a relocation can legally reduce your total time with the children.

In most cases, we will seek to negotiate a revised parenting plan that meets the needs of both parents. The court will generally approve any jointly agreed parenting plan that appears to be in a child's best interests. If that is not possible, we may ask the court to refer your case to an alternative dispute resolution process such as arbitration or mediation. If that process fails, we may have to present arguments at a court hearing, and the court will determine the terms of the new possession order.

Another top concern about relocation involves the increased expenses and travel time required for both parents and children. Under Section 156 of the Texas Family Code, the court's starting assumption should be to make the relocating parent pay the increased expenses. However, the court has the authority to allocate the increased expenses on what it determines to be a "fair and equitable basis."

Fort Bend County Child Relocation Lawyers

The attorneys of The Foray Firm are dedicated to providing reliable legal representation to families of all races, ethnicities, and genders. Contact us in our Houston, TX office at 832-919-6400. We serve clients throughout Houston, Harris County, Waller County, and Fort Bend County, including the communities of Fulshear, Katy, Richmond, and Sugar Land.