Tennessee Court Grants Mother’s Request to Relocate with Child After Divorce

When a couple with children divorce, the court will either approve a parenting plan agreed to by the parties or order a plan that it determines serves the best interests of the children. Such a plan typically sets forth the custody arrangement, identifying whether the parties will have joint or sole decision making in regards to major decisions. The court may also order a certain amount of limited parenting time/visitation, depending on the circumstances. If you are contemplating divorce, it is important to understand your legal rights throughout each stage of the proceeding. An experienced family law attorney from the Nashville area would be able to guide you through the process with full knowledge of the local laws and procedures applicable to your case.

Since people’s lives are fluid and can change from one moment to the next, the parenting plan is subject to modification, but only under certain circumstances. Tennessee law governs such modifications of parenting time (i.e. custody/visitation), including one parent’s request to relocate with a child. In a recent case, the court reviewed a mother’s request to relocate with her new husband, taking the child with them. Her daughter was born in 2007, and the parents divorced in 2009. According to the parties’ agreement, the mother was the primary residential parent, but the parenting plan granted the parents equal parenting time (i.e. equal visitation). Both parties eventually remarried, and the father and stepfather of the child each served in the United States Army.

After the stepfather’s request for a military position in Alabama was approved, the mother provided the father with a notice of intent to relocate. The father opposed the motion and requested designation as the child’s primary residential parent. During a hearing on the issue, both sides presented witnesses who testified on their behalf, either arguing for or against the relocation of the child. The trial court ultimately granted the mother’s request under § 36-6-108 of the Tennessee Code. The court reasoned that the father failed to maintain “substantially equal intervals of time” with the child. Therefore, the court concluded that under the statute, the requested relocation was reasonable, would not harm the child, and was not sought for a vindictive purpose. The father appealed.

The court of appeals reviewed the specific language of the relocation statute. Under the law, when a court determines whether to grant the relocation, there are a variety of factors to consider depending on the precise situation. When one parent objects to the relocation, the court is required to ascertain the amount of time each parent actually spends with the child. Here, the father did not provide evidence to counter the mother’s computation of his time actually spent with the child. The court’s responsibility is to determine whether the parent opposing the relocation has actually spent substantially equal intervals of time with the child or not. If the parent is not spending substantially equal intervals of time then the burden of proof required to be allowed to relocate with the child is a lower burden then if the parent is spending substantially equal intervals of time with the child or children.

Ultimately, the court is expected to make a decision based on the best interests of the child. The court of appeals found that the mother’s relocation had a reasonable purpose under the applicable statute. There was no evidence that the move would result in severe emotional detriment to the child. Furthermore, the mother presented evidence that the child easily adjusted to new surroundings. Lastly, the court found that the mother was as capable as the father of taking care of the child’s emotional and developmental needs.

The court granted the mother’s request to relocate. It is important to understand that the outcome of a child custody case is dependent on the law and how it applies to the particular facts and circumstances. Widrig Law PLLC is a family law firm serving clients in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Franklin, Mt Juliet, Smyrna, Lebanon, Fairview, Bellevue, Gallatin, Springfield, and Clarksville. If you have questions about child custody , parental relocation, or any other related matters, just call us at 615-417-7800 to schedule your consultation.

Client Reviews

"My family and I thank you for your assistance in obtaining my divorce. I left the courthouse with a sense of relief... I know that it is what we paid you to do, but wanted you to know that it has been a pleasure working with you! I will gladly refer you to anyone that I know who is in need of the...

GS - Client

"I want to thank you so much for taking my case. I feel like this situation is so petty and ridiculous and I appreciate you taking me on as a client and being so informative and on top of things. I just feel like I am in good hands and I appreciate that so much."

CT - Client

"Widrig Law was very helpful during an unexpectedly difficult time in my life. They provided expertise that was througtful in how legal proceedings can impacts people and families. The approach to my family law matter was tailored to my needs. I highly recommend working with James Widrig and his...

HP - Client

Contact Us

  1. 1 Available by Videochat, Phone, or In-Person
  2. 2 Over 17 Years of Experience
  3. 3 Aggressive Representation

Fill out the contact form or call us at 615-417-7800 to schedule your consultation.

Leave Us a Message