PREVENTING RELOCATION OF YOUR CHILD UNDER FLORIDA LAW

The prospect of a child relocating away from a non-custodial parent ( n/k/a non-majority time sharing parent) is fairly common in today’s mobile society, especially in a military city like Jacksonville, Florida. The thought a child who was minutes away moving across country can be devastating for a father or mother. A long distance move, in many circumstances, means a substantial reduction in parenting time for the parent left behind.

When faced a possible move of your child(ren), it’s important to know that Florida law protects the non-custodial parent. Under Florida law, the parent seeking to relocate with the parties’ child(ren) must file a petition with the court if the move is greater than fifty (50) miles.

A notarized written response objecting to the relocation your child(ren) must be made within 20 days of service of the relocation petition. If an objection is not timely filed, the court will grant the petition to relocate unless it’s clearly not in the best interest of the children.

In the response objecting to the relocation it is important to describe the objecting parent’s level of involvement in the child(ren)’s life.  The greater the level of integration in the child(ren)’s life, the better chance the objecting parent has to prevent the relocation. Please click on this link for a list of factors a court will consider when evaluating a petition for relocation.

If you have questions about opposing the relocation of your child(ren) from the Jacksonville, Florida area, please contact your us at  904-339-5298 or through this website. Your first consultation is free.