Fighting to Keep my son!! HELP!!

[yessycro]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA

I just recently moved to PA. My Ex Husband ( Whom is now remarried) still lives in CT where we were married. Prior moving to PA I lived in NYC (after him moving out leaving me and our son with no where to go. So I had no choice but to move to my grandmothers in NYC). He and I have Joint Legal Custody and he was ok with my son and I moving to NY. Now that I found it very hard to live in NYC and not a great area to live with my son. I decided to move to PA with my mother where my son and I can start fresh. Where I can get a good Job, my son can get a good education and we can be stable. My Ex does not agree with it and now wants to fight for my Son. Because he does not want to drive so far to see him every 2 weeks. I told him I would compromise and drive half way so it would be easier for him. He still does not want to agree to that. What can I do? Can he win that? Can he take my son away from me? I am so scared I can't live without my son!!! He is my only child.

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA

I just recently moved to PA. My Ex Husband ( Whom is now remarried) still lives in CT where we were married. Prior moving to PA I lived in NYC (after him moving out leaving me and our son with no where to go. So I had no choice but to move to my grandmothers in NYC). He and I have Joint Legal Custody and he was ok with my son and I moving to NY. Now that I found it very hard to live in NYC and not a great area to live with my son. I decided to move to PA with my mother where my son and I can start fresh. Where I can get a good Job, my son can get a good education and we can be stable. My Ex does not agree with it and now wants to fight for my Son. Because he does not want to drive so far to see him every 2 weeks. I told him I would compromise and drive half way so it would be easier for him. He still does not want to agree to that. What can I do? Can he win that? Can he take my son away from me? I am so scared I can't live without my son!!! He is my only child.

Yet Dad is living without his son....consider that for a moment.

How far from Dad were you in NY?

How far are you now?

Dad may have trouble arguing the PA move because he was OK with the NY move - but it depends on the distance you're talking about.

Driving from CT to NY is absolutely feasible; driving from CT to PA may be a different matter entirely.

Are you willing to provide ALL of the transportation or reimbursement of costs?

(That's certainly a decent carrot to dangle)

 

[Antigone*]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA

I just recently moved to PA. My Ex Husband ( Whom is now remarried) still lives in CT where we were married. Prior moving to PA I lived in NYC (after him moving out leaving me and our son with no where to go. So I had no choice but to move to my grandmothers in NYC). He and I have Joint Legal Custody and he was ok with my son and I moving to NY. Now that I found it very hard to live in NYC and not a great area to live with my son. I decided to move to PA with my mother where my son and I can start fresh. Where I can get a good Job, my son can get a good education and we can be stable. My Ex does not agree with it and now wants to fight for my Son. Because he does not want to drive so far to see him every 2 weeks. I told him I would compromise and drive half way so it would be easier for him. He still does not want to agree to that. What can I do? Can he win that? Can he take my son away from me? I am so scared I can't live without my son!!! He is my only child.

If you have been in NY longer than 6 months, that is the child's place of residence and your ex can certainly make any move out of the geography difficult. You do have the option of leaving your son with dad, if you are intent on moving to PA.

I find it quite amusing that you are the one who wants to create the distance and yet you are willing to "drive half way."

 

[Proserpina]

If you have been in NY longer than 6 months, that is the child's place of residence and your ex can certainly make any move out of the geography difficult. You do have the option of leaving your son with dad, if you are intent on moving to PA.

I find it quite amusing that you are the one who wants to create the distance and yet you are willing to "drive half way."

I'm waiting for OP to respond....since Dad already allowed an out-of-state move I really think the distances involved might be the critical matter here.

Kwim?

 

[LdiJ]

I'm waiting for OP to respond....since Dad already allowed an out-of-state move I really think the distances involved might be the critical matter here.

Kwim?

I agree...and six months has nothing to do with it. AT ALL. Its going to truly boil down to distances.

Mom and dad do not live in the same state or community. Therefore the child's life would be disrupted either way. I suspect that mom can likely make a pretty strong case that the child's life would be improved by moving to PA. So, its going to boil down to distance and to what would disrupt the child the least. Staying with mom and moving to PA, or moving to CT with dad.

If the distance isn't much more than it is now, then mom may get to move, but may have to provide all or most of the transportation.

 

[stealth2]

If the distance isn't much more than it is now, then mom may get to move, but may have to provide all or most of the transportation.

There is no way that the distance isn't going to be more than it is now. I live smack between NYC and Philly. It takes me 1 1/2 hours to get to NYC, and 1 1/2 hours to get to Philly. Even if she's not moving all the way down to Philly, it's going to be at least 2 extra hours of driving time.

 

[ecmst12]

You should be offering to provide ALL the transportation, not half, since you are creating the distance.