Moving Out of State With Kids: The Realities of Relocation
Best-interest analysis and strategy
Relocation cases are among the most emotional in family law. A move can mean better work, closer family, or new schools—but it also changes a child’s daily life and a parent’s relationship overnight. Minnesota courts apply a best-interests analysis to decide whether a proposed move should be allowed when the parents don’t agree.
The factors that matter most
Judges consider a cluster of factors, including:
Each parent’s reasons for and against the move. Is this about genuine opportunities—or undercutting the other parent?
The child’s ties to school, activities, extended family, and community.
The feasibility of preserving meaningful parenting time for the nonmoving parent (and how travel costs will be paid).
The child’s needs, including age, special services, and stability.
The co-parenting history—has each parent supported the other’s relationship with the child?
Any safety concerns (domestic abuse, substance issues).
The practical plan: housing, childcare, schools, healthcare, and a realistic schedule.
Building a persuasive relocation plan
Evidence beats adjectives. Bring offer letters, school comparisons, housing details, after-school options, and flight schedules with prices. Spell out:
A concrete parenting-time calendar. Think long blocks in summer, alternating or split holidays, and extended breaks. If the child is young, propose a step-up schedule.
Virtual contact routines. Weekly video calls with a shared calendar and notice rules.
Travel logistics. Who books? Who pays? What happens when a flight is canceled?
Transition supports. Counseling during the first semester, tutoring if school standards shift, and a point person at the new school.
Opposing a move—what works
Offer your own enhanced schedule that supports the child’s needs where they live now.
Highlight existing supports: grandparents who do school pickups, extracurriculars, healthcare providers with history, relationships with friends, schooling.
Show co-parenting cooperation (or lack of it) with texts/emails about schedule swaps and involvement.
Focus on the child’s stability and the feasibility problems in the other parent’s plan (cost, distance, age-appropriateness).
Practical tips
Don’t move first and ask later. Courts react poorly to.
Mind the timeline. Relocation cases can take months; build a bridge schedule so the child isn’t stuck in limbo.
Stay child-centered. Judges notice when parents put the child’s routines and relationships first.
Bottom line: The parent with the credible, detailed plan usually has the edge. Whether you’re proposing or opposing a move, get specific and stay child-focused.
Considering a relocation—or responding to one? Our family law attorneys build practical, persuasive plans tailored to your child.
