Life often becomes unpredictable after a divorce. You may have to move to a smaller space and see less of your children. Your standard of living may shift because the same amount of income now needs to support two households instead of just one.
Trying to build a brighter future might involve taking steps like looking for a new job, buying a new house or even going back home to reconnect with your family. Can parents in Maryland who share custody relocate with the children after a divorce?
Maryland law limits relocations that affect custody
Before you had a custody order, you could potentially move anywhere you wanted with no one overseeing that decision. However, now that you are subject to a custody order, there are certain limitations on your freedom when your children are involved.
If you want to maintain shared custody of your children, you cannot just move without first communicating with your ex and the courts. The courts will have to approve the relocation, especially if you plan to move out of the state or far enough away to make custody exchanges difficult.
A parent hoping to move needs to provide both their ex and the courts with 90 days notice prior to moving in most circumstances. If both parents don’t agree about the move, they may have to go back to court for a hearing, where a judge will make a decision about custody based on the best interests of the children.
When you understand what goes into a relocation when you share custody, you can have more realistic expectations about your life after divorce.