MOVING OUT OF STATE

MY EX AND I HAVE BEEN DIVORCED FOR TWO YEARS. WE HAVE JOINT CUSTODY OF OUR FIVE YEAR OLD. HE HAS NEVER EXECUTED HIS VISITATION RIGHTS UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN HE REMARRIED. HIS NEW WIFE TOLD THE KIDS THAT SHE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT HE GOT HIS KIDS LIKE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. I DID THE SAME THING WITH HIS OTHER DAUGHTER FROM ANOTHER MARRIAGE WHILE WE WERE MARRIED. EVEN DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS I WOULD TRAVEL TO GET HER AND SHE WOULD STAY WITH ME AND HE WOULD COME SEE HER AT MY HOUSE. MY PROBLEM IS THIS......I AM A TEACHER AND HAVE BEEN OFFERED A TEACHING POSITION IN BRANSON, MO. MY BEST FRIEND LIVES THERE AND SO DOES HIS SISTER AND HER HUSBAND. WE NOW LIVE IN LOUISIANA. HE HAS SAID THAT HE WILL STOP ME FROM MOVING OR TAKE ME TO COURT AND TAKE MY DAUGHTER. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH ANY KIND OF VISITATION THAT WORKS WITH HIM BUT HE REFUSES TO EVEN TALK ABOUT IT. I ONLY WANT A BETTER LIFE FOR MY FAMILY. WE VISIT BRANSON EVERY SUMMER AND LOVE IT UP THERE. I WANT TO REMAIN FRIENDS AND HANDLE THIS IN A PEACABLE WAY. WHAT SHOULD I DO????

He may not be willing to talk about it, knowing the child will be so far away, and hard to spend time with him, even though You've written that only recently has he had contact.
Maybe, as the end of the school year is here, you'd be able to try mediation, rather than a courtroom, because, at the end of it all, I think dad realizes that if you have a
chance to better the environment of the child, the court would agree to a move.
You're not doing this out of spite, and you really should have no problem moving.
Take the job offer with you, to the mediator, and to court if it gets that far. Is it guaranteed?
The court won't hinder your liberty in choosing what to do, for you, and the child.
Good Luck, Branson's a great place!!!

I wish you the best of luck in moving to MO. I myself am wanting to move there, Branson is a gorgeous place. I have a agreement with my ex that was placed in our divorce papers that says EITHER of us can move out of state if he gets visitation 4 times a year, but that was in 1994. Now in 2000 I am wanting to move to MO. I am remarried (for almos 6yrs now)and my husband is from the Branson area. My ex will now try to keep me from moving even though in 1994 we agreed that EITHER of us could move out of state, and now that that person is ME he will more than likely try to keep me from moving, Let me know how it goes for you. GOOD LUCK.

Hopefully the court will treat your case more reasonably than they did mine . You have one major point in your favor ... you are the mother .