A Nevada Clark County Family Court judge, and the Nevada Supreme Court have allowed a woman to relocate herself and her two young daughters to Sweden.
Original Ruling Upheld
Just a year after Shane and Cecilia Peterson’s divorce, Judge William Gonzalez granted Cecilia to move the two girls the couple share to her birthplace, Sweden. They left just two days before Christmas. Shane appealed the decision to Nevada’s higher court. But the Nevada Supreme Court’s recent ruling affirms Judge Gonzalez’s decision of primary custody and to let the children and mother relocate out of the country.
Hopes of Breaking New Legal Ground
Shane’s lawyer, Bruce Shapiro, hoped to make new law with the case, by making it more difficult for parents with Nevada custody cases to relocate out of the country with their children. Shapiro argued that international moves require additional safeguards and considerations. Shane’s appeal brief stated,“International relocation so fundamentally alters the parent-child relationship that the courts must discard any standard that favors the relocating parent and focus solely upon the best interests of the children.”
Sweden Better for Employment and Quality of Life
Cecilia Peterson’s lawyers argued the relocation “was prompted by her struggles with being employed in the United States.” Her lawyers wrote that, “Cecilia was able to show that the move is likely to improve the quality of life for the children and herself.” The Petersons were married in Sweded, and their oldest daughter was born there.The youngest daughter was born in Las Vegas.
Shane Peterson now lives in Henderson. He pays $1,452 a month in child support, and $375 a month in spousal support. He has not decided if he will appeal further. His daughters visited over the summer.
For advice on child relocation after a divorce, you need the expert law firm of Divorce Law LA. Schedule a consultation today.
Source: Las Vegas Review Journal, Nevada Supreme Court OKs mom moving kids to Sweden, September 17, 2013
33 S. Catalina Ave. Ste. 202
Pasadena, Ca. 91106
(626) 478-3550