When you co-parent with someone in Minnesota, you may need to get certain permissions when you want to do something with the child you share together. Moving out of the state with your child is just one example of something you may not do without either the approval of the other parent or an order from the court.
Per the Minnesota Legislature, the state’s family court system is going to shoot down a request to move out of state if the parent who requests it only does so to interfere with the other parent’s parenting time. However, if the parent requesting to relocate has a valid reason for wanting to do so, the court may consider a number of variables when deciding whether to allow the move to take place. Some of these factors are as follows.
The strength of the existing relationships
Expect the courts to consider the nature of the relationship you have with your child and the relationship that exists between your ex and your child when deciding whether to let you leave the state. The state may, too, consider whether your child has existing bonds with siblings, and if so, where those siblings live when making its decision.
The feasibility of maintaining relationships
Courts may also consider how feasible it is for your child to maintain a strong relationship with the other parent if the court allows the relocation to take place.
The child’s own wishes
If the courts consider your child to be old enough and mature enough to voice a preference about whether to relocate, that preference may carry weight.
These are just a few of the many factors courts consider when weighing relocation requests.