Moving with children when you have sole custody
If you have sole custody, you alone decide where the child should live. But you still have responsibility to help the child with keeping in touch with the other parent (unless the child needs protection). We provide the tips before you move.
The sole custodian decides alone
As the sole custodian, the parent independently decides on matters concerning the child’s personal affairs. This includes where the child should live. This means that the custodian does not need approval from the other parent for a relocation.
If the child’s other parent wishes to change custody to joint custody or obtain sole custody themselves, the parent needs to:
- reach an agreement with the custodian on a custody change and create a binding agreement, or,
- file a summons complaint in court for a custody change.
Children have a right to both their parents
Children have the right to a close and good relationship with both of their parents. As custodians, parents have a responsibility to assist the child in their contact with the other parent. Here, we assume that it is wise and caring parent who have the child’s best interests in mind.
How to take care of your child when moving
For the child, a move far away may mean that the opportunities for close contact with the other parent decrease. As custodian, there are things you can do to facilitate the child’s contact with the other parent:
- Create a plan for visitation and anchor the plan with the other parent.
- Talk to the child and explain what plans you, as parents, have. Listen to the child and adjust if necessary.
- Encourage contact with the other parent by phone or through the Varannan Vecka-app, depending on the child’s age.
- Regularly inform the other parent about how the child is doing and what is happening in their daily life. This is easiest through the Varannan Vecka-app, where you can share pictures, school information, or chat. When the visitation parent receives information about the child’s daily life, it facilitates for the child as the visitation parent is already involved in the everyday routine, albeit from a distance.
