Are you thinking of relocating or a move away from Louisville with the kids after a divorce? Relocation when existing child custody orders are in place is a complex legal matter under Kentucky family law. This is why it is important to work with the attorneys at Dodd & Dodd who have decades of experience in relocation and move away cases in throughout Louisville.
One thing is certain – if you move away without the permission of the local Family Court with jurisdiction over your case, you risk all of your custodial rights as a parent. Most judges who issue orders in Louisville or Jefferson County divorce cases retain “jurisdiction” over a child custody matter going forward after the divorce. This means our local court has control over the custody of your children, not you as an individual parent.
A parent who whishes to move away from Louisville with the kids after a divorce who is a party to any form of shared custody or parenting time agreement must first seek the written approval of the court and orders to allow them to do so.
The court takes a very dim view of those parents who take children and move away without advance permission from the court. In these cases the court will immediately order the return of the children and usually strip any existing custody rights from the parent who attempted the move.
However, there are genuine risks for those who are thinking of a move away from Louisville with the kids after a divorce. It is possible in some states to attempt to ask a court in the new home town to take emergency jurisdiction of the case. This results in a complex, time consuming and expensive legal battle.
If you are concerned about a former spouse moving out of the area with your children, or they have already attempted to do so we invite you to review the strong recommendations of our former clients and the legal industry and contact Dodd & Dodd or call 502-584-1108 to schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys.
Protect your child custody and parenting time rights and your ability to spend time with and parent your children.
