Things to Consider When Thinking About a Relocation

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Relocation

Nobody likes the idea of feeling trapped. If you are like most people, you want the freedom to seek new adventures and new opportunities. Of course, certain responsibilities in life may limit your ability to enjoy such liberties, but that does not mean they are completely out of reach. If you currently share parental responsibilities with your child’s other parent, you may feel that you are no longer free to pursue your personal goals, especially if they involve moving to another part of the state or out of Illinois altogether. Getting permission from the court for a relocation, however, may be possible, and there are some things to think about before you make a decision.

Legal Requirements

When you are the parent with primary parental responsibilities and half or more of the parenting time with your child, you must obtain permission from the other parent before relocating with the child. If the other parent refuses, you can seek permission from the court for the move. You only need approval if your new residence would be within Illinois and more than 25 miles from a current home in the metro Chicago area, or more than 50 miles from a current home anywhere else in the state. An out-of-state move requires approval if it is more than 25 miles from a current home anywhere in Illinois.

Best Interest of Your Child

Before you even request permission, it is important to carefully consider all of the implications of your intended move. Not only will you need to demonstrate the benefits to the court, but you should also know how your plans will affect you and your child. You should give a great deal of thought to issues such as:

• Your employment and/or educational opportunities: Will you be better able to provide for your child by moving?
• Educational quality and support for your child: How do schools and other programs in the new location compare to those near your current home?
• Extended family: Will there be more grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins nearby at the new home? If not, you may want to consider why moving away from family is a better choice;
•  Your child’s opinion: Does he or she even want to move? This assumes, of course, that your child truly understands the situation; and
• The other parent: How will the move affect your child’s relationship with the other parent? If you are eventually allowed to relocate, you will need to develop a workable plan regarding parenting time and fostering the parent-child bond.

Seek Legal Guidance

The process of relocation begins long before you start looking at real estate listings in a new city or state. From the earliest planning stages, an experienced Aurora family law attorney can help you the best course of action for your family and how to proceed in accordance with the law. Call 630-409-8184 today to speak with a lawyer about the possibility of relocation or any other family law concern.

Source:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=075000050HPt%2E+VI&ActID=2086&ChapterID=0&SeqStart=8350000&SeqEnd=10200000