#parental relocation

When can a Tennessee parent move with the children more than 50 miles away from the other parent?

Facts: Mother and Father, the parents of two children, divorced in 2018. Father received 144 days of parenting time. Three years later, Father petitioned to change the parenting plan because he had a new job that let him spend more time with the children. Father proposed equal time. While that matter was pending, Mother notified Father that she intended to move with the children to Germany to…

When can a Tennessee court change the custodial parent?

Facts: Mother and Father, the parents of two children, divorced with an agreed parenting plan that made Mother the primary residential parent while giving Father 156 days of parenting time. In April, Mother alleged that Father physically assaulted and seriously injured her. Despite her injuries, Mother did not report the incident to the police or seek judicial relief. Four months later, in…

Is it reversible error to apply the wrong best-interest factors in a Tennessee child custody dispute?

Facts: Father and Mother are the unmarried parents of Child. Their agreed parenting plan had been exchanging Child each week. When Mother’s fiancé received orders from the Army to move to Alabama, Mother decided to move with him. She notified Father of her intent to move with Child. Father opposed Mother’s relocation with Child and filed a petition in opposition. While awaiting trial, Mother…

How is distance measured for Tennessee's parental relocation statute?

Facts: Mother and Father are the never-married parents of two children. Their parenting plan provided equal time via alternating weeks and designated Mother as the primary residential parent. Mother informed Father she and the children had moved from Murfreesboro to Fayetteville, Tennessee. Father filed an emergency petition opposing relocation and asked for the immediate return of the children…

When a Tennessee court allows a parent to relocate with the child, who pays the cost of transporting the child to visit the other parent?

Facts: Mother and Father are the never-married parents of Child. When Child was born, Mother lived in Virginia, and Father was in college at the University of Tennessee. After Father graduated from college, he played professional football in the NFL. Parentage and child support were established. An agreed parenting plan structured Father’s parenting time around his professional football…

What must courts consider when allocating decision-making authority in a Tennessee divorce?

Facts: Mother and Father, the parents of three children, divorced after 14 years of marriage. Despite a history of arguments and disagreements, both parents continued to live in the marital residence with the children. By the time of trial, they no longer argued in front of the children. They communicated civilly, usually in text messages. While the divorce was pending, they took separate trips…