While many people love living here, Connecticut is a small state surrounded by many large metropolitan areas. As a result, Connecticut families may have to pack up and move to another state for a job opportunity or other reasons.
Like other states, Connecticut parents who are divorced and thus subject to custody and parenting time orders have certain obligations if they wish to move.
Connecticut requires a parent to get permission to relocate
Unless the parents agree on relocation and the court approves the agreement, then a parent who wants to move will need to get permission from the court. This rule applies to any moves that could significantly impact a parenting plan.
The parent who wants to move will have to prove that the court should allow the change. The court will do so if it finds that the relocation is in the child’s best interests.
The parent will also have to prove that she has a good reason to move and that the actual move is designed to meet that purpose. For example, a court may be more skeptical of a move out of state if a parent took another job in Eastern Connecticut.
The court is supposed to consider several factors when deciding whether relocation is in a child’s best interest.
As an aside, Connecticut’s law does not apply to proposed moves that the court already addressed in the original divorce decree. It may therefore be a good idea to bring up possible moves during initial divorce and custody negotiations.
