Custody Laws - What If I Move Interstate?

by infoyogis

Your initial thought after a marriage breakdown might be to move as far away from your ex as possible - moving out of Texas and moving interstate - but this can cause all sort of difficulties if there is a little one involved: emotional, social, and also legal problems!

Remember that the Texas Family Court considers the interest of the little ones to be the crucial determining factor when determining custody, and a parent who disappears from the scene after a relationship breakdown is rarely regarded as acting in the best interests of the children.

Sustaining some degree of stability for your child through the turmoil of family breakdown is crucial, and you need to be sensitive to the fact that your child's whole perception of 'home' is one that was developed from within that environment you fashioned when you and your former partner were still in a relationship.

For this reason you should avoid displacing your children from the family dwelling place if at all possible, most especially in the early months after separation.

Continuing at your residence may be undesirable, particularly if you have friends or neighbors whose very presence reminds you of the pain of your relationship breakdown, and you may desire the support of your family and friends, who may live a long way away. Yet this is the home of your children home. And the 'home' is more than four walls and a bed. It also consists of friends, sporting clubs, and your child's accustomed recreational hangouts, all of which your child may feel a need for now more than ever!
If you are the parent you has been forced to vacate the family home, this makes the matter of place of residency no less important, and you should think very carefully about how to maintain a harmonious environment for your little ones when you choose where to live.

From a practical viewpoint, living closer to your spouse also means that a joint custody agreement is more feasible. By remaining close to your child's familiar companions, this also allows play-dates to resume in the familiar way, babysitting preparations can be more easily administered, as can the logistics of collecting forgotten toys from your child's other home.

If you give thought to the long-term, you'll realise that living near by means that you can better support the other parent with school pick-up's where one of you is unable to manage, and in a variety of other practical matters. This all means more "normal" time spent with your child that improves the standing of both parents and the child.

And remember that these issues are not only personal family matters. They are also legal problems, and can play a key role in deciding custody cases. The family court in Texas awards custody by determining what is in the best interests of the children, and it is seldom going to be in the best interest of the little ones if one of the parents moves away interstate, most especially if they are planning on taking their child with them.

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For more information on My Child Custody Rights if I move interstate: Child Custody Rights