A high-conflict divorce can be pretty stressful for you and your kids. For this reason, you can decide to relocate to another house to avoid daily arguments with your spouse. While that might seem like a great idea, it could be an extremely costly decision. So before taking this step, consult your divorce lawyer. They will offer you better alternatives for your situation and protect you from severe legal consequences. This article examines the repercussions of moving from your marital home during a divorce.
Losing the Custodianship of Your Kids
Of course, moving out of your house without your kids reduces your time with them. That might damage your relationship with your children and hurt your chances of getting custody. Furthermore, your partner could argue that you left the house because you don't care for your kids, which could make the judge award them full custody.
In this situation, your lawyer will suggest a parenting arrangement indicating how you will be spending time with your kids before moving out. This will enable you to continue being present in your kids' lives, which will profoundly favor your child custody case.
Failure to Access Essential Documents
The judge will want to know what you and your partner earn when requesting marriage dissolution. This information enables them to make better decisions when ruling on child support and spousal payments. As such, you should have your spouse's bank statements, credit cards, retirement papers, and other financial documents to support your case. Moving out of your matrimonial home too early makes it hard to access these documents later.
Payment of More Spousal Support
After relocating to a different home, you can opt to continue paying some of the utility bills in your matrimonial house. While you could be doing this out of good faith, it might work against you in court. The judge might propose that you continue paying the bills even after divorce. However, if your ex-spouse offers to pay all monthly bills and other expenses alone, you may only have to pay a small amount. In this case, the judge might assume that your partner will manage most financial obligations independently. Therefore, they might ask you to pay less than what your ex-spouse will be paying.
As you can see, changing residence during a divorce has serious consequences. However, this does not mean that you can't change houses. If you have a genuine reason, like an unsafe living situation, your lawyer can assist you in getting a court order to permit you to move out.
For more information, contact a divorce lawyer in your area.
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