When Pennsylvania parents of young children get divorced, they may at first commit to staying as close to each other as possible. This is done to help each parent remain in their children’s lives as well as to minimize any disruption to them. However, there may come a time when one parent meets someone new and falls in love.
This may cause conflict because it may result in a parent moving farther away from the child. The child’s other parent may refuse to drive the extra distance or may claim that the new partner is a bad influence on the child. Ultimately, conflicts may arise in which the parents start to focus on their own needs as opposed to the needs of the child. Even though a divorce may put an end to a marriage, it will not put an end to the relationship between two people as parents.
Instead of engaging in conflict, it may be best for the parents to go back to mediation to create a new custody or visitation schedule. A compromise may be created in which the parent who moved sees the child less often while also paying less child support. During mediation, it may be possible to explore the impact of a move on the child’s social and academic lives.
The relocation of a parent may change the relationship between the parents as well as between the parent and the child. Ideally, a parent will consider how moving may impact the child and weigh that against his or her own needs. If an individual cannot come up with a revised parenting plan through mediation, it may be worthwhile to have legal assistance when seeking a modification of the original order.