Now that you and your ex-partner are going through a divorce, one of the things you’d like to know is if you can move out of the state. Being in Cincinnati, you’re very close to Kentucky and Indiana, so you know that you have job opportunities in other cities and locations beyond Ohio.
If you receive a job opportunity, you may want to go, but you should know that this could impact your right to child custody.
Moving across state lines with your children
You’re in a unique position since you’re so close to the border of several states, but you still need to think carefully about deciding to move outside of Ohio. You and the other parent should discuss your options, because even though you may only plan to move an hour or two away to Louisville, Lexington, Indianapolis or another nearby city, there are different state laws in place, different school systems and variances in the expectations of the people around you.
Interstate travel may be allowed in some cases
Since you won’t be too far away, the other parent may agree that interstate travel with your child is fine so long as you are going between their home and your own. The distance itself could make things trickier, requiring you to decide on visitation times that make sense with your work schedule and your children’s school schedules.
You will also need to figure out where they will attend school. If your children are already settled in Ohio and have a school system there, it may be better to leave them in place. However, if you have better opportunities in Kentucky or Indiana, then it may make sense to take them to the new home and enroll them in school there. That’s something to discuss with the other parent, because you’ll both want to do what’s in your children’s best interests in terms of education, family, community and medical care.
This can be a hard change to work through, but if you and the other parent focus on what’s best for your children, you should be able to decide if an interstate custody schedule would be appropriate for your situation.
