Florida's relocation statute, section 61.13001, sets one of the strictest procedures in family law. Miss a step and a parent can lose the move, or lose the right to object to it. Reyes Miller Law Group represents parents in relocation cases in Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, Orange, Hillsborough and Leon counties, including moves to another state or another country.
How Reyes Miller Law Group handles relocation cases
Relocation by agreement
When both parents agree, we write the agreement with the new timesharing schedule and transportation terms the statute requires and present it to the court.
Petitions to relocate
When there is no agreement, we prepare the petition with every detail the statute requires and build the evidence that the move is in the child's best interest.
Objecting to a move
The deadline to object is short. We file the sworn objection with the specific facts the statute requires and oppose the move at the hearing.
Long-distance parenting plans
Whatever the outcome, we build a schedule that works over distance: longer blocks of time, travel costs and regular video contact.
Moves made without permission
If a parent has already moved the child without an agreement or order, we ask the court to order the child's return and address the violation.
What Florida law says
What counts as relocation
A change in a parent's principal residence of at least 50 miles from where that parent lived at the time of the last order or the filing of the pending case, for at least 60 consecutive days. Temporary absences for vacation, education or health care do not count (section 61.13001(1), Florida Statutes).
Two ways to relocate
The parents can sign a written agreement that includes a revised timesharing schedule and transportation arrangements, or the parent who wants to move must file a petition to relocate and serve it on the other parent.
What the petition must say
The new address and phone number, the date of the intended move, a detailed statement of the reasons, a proposed revised timesharing and transportation schedule, and a notice in capital letters that an objection must be filed within 20 days.
The 20-day deadline to object
The other parent must file a written, sworn objection within 20 days after service. If no proper objection is filed, the move is presumed to be in the child's best interest and the court can approve it without a hearing.
Who has to prove what
The parent seeking to move must first prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the relocation is in the child's best interest. If that burden is met, the burden shifts to the other parent to show that it is not.
Moving without permission
Relocating a child without an agreement or court order can be held against the parent who moved, and the court can order the child returned.
What happens after you reach out
- 1
A free consultation
Call or send the form. You talk with the firm about what is happening, in English or Spanish, at no cost.
- 2
We review your papers
Bring any petition, order, agreement or letter you have received. Family court deadlines are short, so we look for those first.
- 3
An honest plan
You get a straight assessment of your options and what each one is likely to cost in time and money.
- 4
We handle the case
If you hire the firm, we prepare and file the papers, deal with the other side, and represent you at mediation and in court.
Where we handle relocation cases
Reyes Miller Law Group takes cases in these seven Florida counties. Each county's family cases are heard in its own judicial circuit.
- Palm Beach County
15th Judicial Circuit
Main Judicial Center (Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse)
- Miami-Dade County
11th Judicial Circuit
Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center
- Broward County
17th Judicial Circuit
Broward County Central Courthouse, Judicial Complex West Building
- Monroe County
16th Judicial Circuit
- Orange County
9th Judicial Circuit
Orange County Courthouse
- Hillsborough County
13th Judicial Circuit
George E. Edgecomb Courthouse
- Leon County
2nd Judicial Circuit
Leon County Courthouse
Our offices
THE FIRM
The sword and the shield.
Reyes Miller Law Group is built for clients who cannot afford a poor outcome. The firm combines strategic litigation, negotiation, mediation, and practical family-law guidance.
WHAT WE DO
- Divorce, custody & family law litigation
- Uncontested & simplified divorce
- Paternity, petitions, counter-petitions & responses
- Child support, alimony & modifications
- Parenting plans, timesharing & parental responsibility
- Equitable distribution of marital assets & debts
- Prenuptial & postnuptial agreements
- Name changes & legal document preparation
- Aggressive negotiation & skilled mediation
- High-conflict divorce, custody & parental alienation
- Child abduction & wrongful retention (Hague Convention)
- Domestic violence injunctions — petitioners & respondents
- Complex, high-asset & high-net-worth divorce
- Emergency motions, ex parte relief & contempt
- Relocation disputes — in-state & out-of-state
Frequently asked questions
Can I move out of state with my child?
If there is a timesharing order or a pending case and the move is 50 miles or more, only with the other parent's written agreement or the court's permission after a relocation petition.
How quickly are relocation cases decided?
Florida gives relocation cases priority on the court's calendar. A parent can also ask for a temporary order allowing or blocking the move before the final hearing.
What does the judge consider?
The factors in section 61.13001(7), including the child's relationship with each parent, the child's age and needs, how the move would affect the child, whether it would improve the family's life, each parent's reasons, and whether a long-distance schedule can preserve the child's relationship with the other parent.
What if the other parent moved without asking?
The court can order the child's return and can take the unauthorized move into account when it decides the case and in any contempt proceeding.
Does a relocation change child support?
It can. A move often changes the timesharing schedule and travel costs, and both can affect the support calculation.
Other cases we handle
Related articles
- Relocating with a Child in Florida: Legal Requirements and Court Process
- What Counts as a Substantial Change in Circumstances in Florida?
Managing partner
Yvette B. Reyes, Esq. · Florida Bar No. 53510 · Practicing in Florida since 1995 · Read her profile
Page updated September 2026. This page describes the services of Reyes Miller Law Group and general Florida law. It is not legal advice about your situation, and contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Full disclaimer.
