In April 2014, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. announced that it would be moving its headquarters from Torrance, California to Plano, Texas, much to everyone’s surprise. In fact, the decision was so secretive, most of the 3,000+ employees at the site learned about the change the same day the public did. Over a year later, the shift is still underway, and some unforeseen consequences are starting to affect Toyota’s employees.
(Learn more about the move by reading an article published by the Los Angeles Times, seen here.)
Family Law Disputes Stemming from the Move
Whenever hundreds or thousands of people need to move far and away to keep their jobs, you can be sure that family law issues are sure to follow. In particular, some Toyota employees are now having to deal with move-away and child custody disputes. At the time of their divorce, they probably had no intentions to ever leave California; visitation and child custody agreements, therefore, were drafted without a great distance between the two ex-spouses in mind. The only solution might be to file for modifications of preexisting court orders and judgements.
How to Change Child Custody Before a Move
If you find yourself in an uncommonly lucky situation, you and your ex will actually agree on whatever modifications you suggest to accommodate for the unexpected move to Texas. In a more realistic scenario, though, you are going to hit a wall when trying to figure out who retains what parental rights and where your children will be raised. This is where an experienced family law attorney should step in and start handling all the complex paperwork and litigation for you.
Steps you should let your lawyer deal with on your behalf include:
- Establishing necessity: You will have to show that a major change in circumstances has occurred that requires the modification. If you are a Toyota employee being relocated to Texas, this is pretty straightforward but may still require some persuasive arguments.
- Filling out appropriate forms: If you have ever looked at a legal document regarding family law and child custody, you know that it is not a task to be taken lightly. Let your attorney fill out the forms, review them, make additional copies, and file them with the right county clerk.
- Serving your papers: If you do not have a family law attorney on your side yet, now is the time to get one. You need someone who is not you serve your ex the modification paperwork after you have received your court date. Letting a litigator handle this step can also ensure that a proper Proof of Service form is created and filed.
- Going to court: Presenting a case constructed by a professional lawyer can greatly increase your chances in court; oppositely, showing up alone may significantly decrease your odds of success. Let an attorney you can trust manage this most difficult and intricate of steps.
Would you like to know more about the required steps to change a custody order? Visit California Court’s website here. Would you like to get started on your child custody and move-away case? Contact Patricia Barberis, A Law Corporation today to request your case evaluation with our highly experienced and always compassionate team of Torrance child custody attorneys!