Child custody disputes involving relocation are some of the most difficult cases to come before Minnesota family law courts. It’s hard enough for many parents to get adequate time with their children when they live nearby, but when one parent has to move away for work, school or some other reason it can lead to a very difficult and emotional situation.
In an unusual case, courts in two states have been struggling with how to resolve a child custody dispute between an Olympic athlete and a woman who bore his child.
As the woman explained in a recent article for Cosmopolitan magazine, the two dated briefly when they both lived in California. By the time she learned she was pregnant, they had already split up. She told the man she planned to keep the baby, but she also decided to move across the country before giving birth so that she could attend a prestigious university.
However, the father of the child filed for custody and alleged that she was relocating without permission of the court, in violation of child custody laws. A bizarre, cross-country child custody dispute unfolded. As of this writing, it has yet to be resolved. The two met in New York recently but failed to reach an agreement on sharing parenting time.
Parental relocation cases can pit one parent’s interest against the other’s. For instance, a parent with primary custody may desire a long-distance move in order to take a better job, and may wish to take the child along. However, by doing so, this parent may impose a hardship on the other parent, who will have to travel a long distance just to see the child.
Minnesota family law courts weigh many factors when deciding child custody disputes, but their foremost concern must always be the best interests of the child. A Minnesota attorney with experience in child custody disputes can stand up for a client’s interests in these very emotional cases, while also keeping in mind the best interests of the child.
Source: New York Daily News, “Bode Miller’s custody battle with Sara McKenna over baby son still on as former couple can’t reach agreement,” Nathaniel Vinton, March 31, 2014