Parental Relocation in Tennessee

Nashville Parental Relocation Lawyers

Few situations in family law are as stressful or emotional as learning that your co-parent intends to move across the state—or across the country—with your child. Parental relocation can immediately place your relationship with your child at risk and can reshape custody, parenting time, and long-term family dynamics. Tennessee has strict rules governing relocation, and parents on both sides must follow the law carefully to avoid losing important rights.

Freeman & Fuson represents parents seeking to relocate and parents opposing relocation under Tennessee’s parental relocation statute, T.C.A. § 36-6-108. These cases are fact-intensive, highly emotional, and often must be litigated. Our firm has successfully handled relocation cases throughout Middle Tennessee and understands how to present evidence, protect parental rights, and advocate for a child’s best interests.

Practice Areas 

Understanding Tennessee’s Parental Relocation Law
(T.C.A. § 36-6-108)

Tennessee law requires a parent who wishes to relocate to follow very specific procedures. Failure to follow these steps can severely damage the relocating parent’s case—or result in the court prohibiting the move entirely.

Under T.C.A. § 36-6-108, a parent who spends intervals of time with a child must provide written notice if they intend to:

• Move out of state, or
• Move more than 100 miles from the other parent within Tennessee

The Notice Requirements

The relocating parent must send written notice by registered or certified mail to the other parent’s last known address. Unless excused by the court, the notice must be mailed at least 60 days before the planned move.

The notice must include:

1. A statement of intent to move
2. The location of the proposed new residence
3. The reasons for the proposed relocation
4. A statement informing the other parent that they may file a petition in opposition within 30 days

If the non-relocating parent files a petition opposing the move within those 30 days, the court will then evaluate the case using the standards set out in T.C.A. § 36-6-108 to decide whether relocation should be permitted.

These cases turn heavily on evidence, preparation, and credibility—making experienced legal representation critical.

How Courts Evaluate Parental Relocation Cases

Relocation cases require the court to analyze two major issues:

1. Each parent’s existing parenting time
2. The reasons for and behind the move

If parents spend substantially equal time with the child, courts conduct a best-interest analysis similar to the factors listed in T.C.A. § 36-6-106.

Relocation cases require the court to analyze two major issues:

• The move has a reasonable purpose
• The move is not for a vindictive or harmful motive
• The move is in the child’s best interests

Because every relocation case is different, outcomes depend heavily on:

• Evidence supporting (or undermining) the reason for the move
• The child’s age, school ties, and community connections
• The logistics and feasibility of long-distance parenting
• Work opportunities, family support systems, and safety considerations
• Past co-parenting behavior and the ability to maintain a meaningful relationship

Relocation cases are among the most contested and fact-intensive issues in family law. The result can permanently alter a parent-child relationship.

Why These Cases Require Skilled Representation

Parental relocation cases move quickly, involve high stakes, and often require:

Freeman & Fuson understands the legal standards, the emotional stakes, and the importance of getting it right the first time. We help parents seeking to relocate present strong, evidence-based reasons for the move—and we help parents opposing relocation build compelling arguments about the child’s stability and best interests.