When a parent who shares time with a child wants to move a significant distance away, Florida treats it as a legal matter rather than a personal decision, because the move changes the other parent’s relationship with the child. The state’s relocation law applies when a parent intends to move more than 50 miles from their current residence for at least 60 consecutive days. A parent relocation attorney in Port St. Lucie helps parents on both sides of that situation follow the process the law requires.
Brodzki Jacobs represents parents in the Port St. Lucie area and across St. Lucie County who are seeking to relocate with a child or opposing a move the other parent has proposed. The rules are specific, and a step skipped at the start can sink an otherwise reasonable request.
If the parents agree on the move, they can sign a written agreement that consents to the relocation, sets out a revised time-sharing schedule, and describes how the child will travel between them. Once a court approves that agreement, the relocation can proceed without a hearing. Agreement is by far the smoother path when it is possible. When the parents do not agree, the relocating parent must file a petition to relocate and serve it on the other parent, who then has a set period to object. The petition has to include specific information, including where the parent intends to move, the reasons for it, and a proposed schedule for time-sharing after the move. Missing those requirements can defeat the petition before the merits are even reached.
If the other parent objects, a judge in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit decides whether to allow the move based on the child’s best interests. The court weighs the reasons for the relocation, the effect on the child’s relationship with the parent left behind, the child’s age and needs, and whether the move is likely to improve the child’s life. A parent relocation attorney in Port St. Lucie builds the case around those factors rather than around what is convenient for the parent.
Whether you are hoping to relocate with your child or trying to keep a move from pulling your child hours away, the early steps shape everything that follows, and the relocation statute leaves little room for error. Brodzki Jacobs helps parents prepare petitions that meet the legal requirements and objections that hold up, with the child’s best interests at the center of the argument. A parent relocation attorney at Brodzki Jacobs can review your situation and tell you where you stand. Call 954-932-8300 to talk it through.
