Relocation

Whether you are a parent seeking to relocate with your children or want to prevent your child from being relocated, a Long Island relocation attorney at the Law Offices of Seidner & Associates, PC will vigorously represent you to ensure your rights are protected. Relocation becomes an issue when the child moves beyond a radius of 25-50 miles from the child’s original residence and it becomes impossible or impracticable for the non-custodial parent to exercise parenting time or visitation.

A custodial parent may wish to move for a variety of reasons, such as a new job, remarriage, or to be closer to extended family. In order to effectuate the move, the relocating parent must submit a relocation petition to the Court even when the documents granting custody are silent about relocating. The courts will only grant the relocation if the move is in the best interest of the child, not the parent. And before the court will even analyze the best interests, there first must be a compelling change in circumstances.

The Court will examine a number of factors in making its decision, including the relationship between the child and both of his parents, the economic reasons, a new marriage, health considerations, the change in quality of lifestyle for the child, and the possibility of devising a new visitation schedule with the non-custodial parent. The court will also consider each parent’s reasons for seeking or opposing the move. Since there are so many factors to consider and there are no clear-cut methods of determining how a court will rule, it is essential that your lawyer have a successful track record and be highly respected within the court system. Often, the outcome of a relocation case depends simply upon what judge is assigned. If the dispute becomes contentious, an experienced New York relocation attorney with years of trial experience and a wealth of legal knowledge is crucial to obtaining your desired results in court.

Some issues may be negotiated between parties and the need for court intervention will be greatly reduced. In these situations, your lawyer must have superb negotiating skills as these issues are rarely black and white. Not only do our attorneys have decades of combined negotiation experience, but we also pay close attention to detail so that every single concern gets ironed out. It is our goal to place you and your children in the best position possible.