I want my child to move overseas draft

I want my child to move overseas draft

If you want your child to move overseas, there are several things you will need to do before you can plan to move, it is important to remember that taking your child out of the UK without the other parents permission (providing they have parental responsibility) is child abduction and is against the law, and you may risk a fine or even prison if you abduct your child. Here are some steps to follow if you want to move your child overseas –

1. Seek legal advice, it is important to seek legal advice from a solicitor as soon as possible as they will be able to guide you through the process and help you later if you need to apply to court. Wikivorce offer a child consultation service here
   
   
2. You will need to consider things such as, how will your child and the family that still live in the UK maintain their relationship? (such as video calls, texting, emails, trips back to the UK etc.) Will the move disrupt the child’s education? (such as, is your child currently studying for exams or about to sit them? how long will the child be out of school for?) How will you financially support you and your child once you have moved?
   
   
3. Talk to the other parent. Remember to be considerate to the other parents’ feelings and give them time to think about it rather than demanding an answer right away. Explain why you wish to move with your child to another country and why, explain in detail why you think it’s in your child’s best interest to move. Maybe have a look at education in the area you wish to move to first so you can keep the other parent in the loop of what kind of education your child will get overseas. If you can’t talk to your ex face to face, write a detailed letter explaining why and where you want to move to. Give the other parent time to think it over and let them come to their own decision.
   
   
4. If the other parent gives their permission to you and your child moving overseas, you must get their written consent (a signed letter) clearly stating they are giving you permission to take your child out of the country.
   
   
5. If the other parent does not want to give their permission to their child moving overseas with you, you will need to attend mediation. Mediation can be very helpful as having a trained individual guiding the conversation can keep the conversation calm and on track. Mediation is your chance to explain again in full detail about the move and all the things you have considered. Remember mediation is for the both of you to talk about the move, so listen to why your ex doesn’t want your child to move and take that on board too.
   
   
6. If after mediation your ex still doesn’t want your child to move away with you but you still wish to move away, you will need to apply for a specific issue order to ask the court to review your case and let the court decide if it’s in the best interest of the child to move abroad.

Click here to read more about parental reasonability and here to read more about specific issue orders.