Considerations for minor child wanting to relocate (TN to FL) for school

[Monk1979]

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

My 15-yr-old son has an opportunity to relocate from Tennessee to Florida to attend a specialized academy that feeds into his number one choice for college. If this happens, he would be living with my mother, his grandmother. I currently have primary custody while he sees his father every weekend. I do not expect any legal dispute from his father on this situation (with the exception of child support) but am not sure what legal steps I would need to take in order to allow my son's grandmother the ability to make medical decisions, educational decisions, etc., while he is under her care.

If someone could give me an idea of where I would need to start and what the process might entail, I would be greatly appreciative.

 

[Eekamouse]

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

My 15-yr-old son has an opportunity to relocate from Tennessee to Florida to attend a specialized academy that feeds into his number one choice for college. If this happens, he would be living with my mother, his grandmother. I currently have primary custody while he sees his father every weekend. I do not expect any legal dispute from his father on this situation (with the exception of child support) but am not sure what legal steps I would need to take in order to allow my son's grandmother the ability to make medical decisions, educational decisions, etc., while he is under her care.

If someone could give me an idea of where I would need to start and what the process might entail, I would be greatly appreciative.

What would be his issue regarding child support?

 

[cbg]

I'll address the part of your question that I am qualified to answer, but I need to ask one question first.

Health insurance. Whose is your son currently on - yours or his father's? Would he continue on that same insurance or would he need to go on his grandmother's?

The answer to that question may affect the rest of the answer, so let's start there.

 

[Monk1979]

What would be his issue regarding child support?

I may not have worded that correctly. I meant that I expect his first consideration to be whether he'll have to continue paying child support if our son is no longer living with me.

 

[Monk1979]

I'll address the part of your question that I am qualified to answer, but I need to ask one question first.

Health insurance. Whose is your son currently on - yours or his father's? Would he continue on that same insurance or would he need to go on his grandmother's?

The answer to that question may affect the rest of the answer, so let's start there.

He is currently on my health insurance but we are on TennCare so would no longer qualify for that if he is living in Florida. At that point my mother plans to add him to her insurance.

 

[cbg]

The strong likelihood is that she will have to have a court-ordered guardianship (which can be temporary for school purposes - you are not surrendering custody) in order to add him to her insurance. That actually makes the whole process easier since that same guardianship will allow her to make medical and educational decisions.

What will probably happen is that the court will grant her a temporary guardianship for a definite time period - between xx/xx/2016 and xx/xx/2016, probably for the school term, which is renewable if he returns to the FL school. You might want to have a brief consultation with a family law attorney as to what paperwork you will need to start the process.

 

[Monk1979]

The strong likelihood is that she will have to have a court-ordered guardianship (which can be temporary for school purposes - you are not surrendering custody) in order to add him to her insurance. That actually makes the whole process easier since that same guardianship will allow her to make medical and educational decisions.

What will probably happen is that the court will grant her a temporary guardianship for a definite time period - between xx/xx/2016 and xx/xx/2016, probably for the school term, which is renewable if he returns to the FL school. You might want to have a brief consultation with a family law attorney as to what paperwork you will need to start the process.

Thank you so much for your advice!

 

[stealth2]

I may not have worded that correctly. I meant that I expect his first consideration to be whether he'll have to continue paying child support if our son is no longer living with me.

BOTH of you should be paying child support - to Grandma - if your kid is with her.

 

[Ohiogal]

I may not have worded that correctly. I meant that I expect his first consideration to be whether he'll have to continue paying child support if our son is no longer living with me.

You and dad would BOTH be paying child support TO grandma. Or at least you both should be.