Nashville, TN family law attorney Anne Hamer talks about what happens if a non-custodial parent moves out of the state in regards to parenting time. She observes that in today’s highly mobile society, one growing trend in family law is parents relocating away from the state where the divorce occurred or where the child currently resides. She notes that a parent who chooses to move does not lose parenting time entirely, but the schedule naturally adjusts. Daily or weekly visits may no longer be feasible if the parent moves several hours away.

She explains that courts often craft parenting plans that account for these distances. For example, extended summer breaks—often around ten weeks—allow the traveling parent to spend meaningful time with the child, while the other parent retains the school-year schedule. Additionally, the increasing affordability of air travel enables parents to maintain consistent contact, either by flying into town for long weekends or by arranging for the child to travel to them. While this requires careful planning, scheduling, and sometimes a higher cost, it allows children to maintain stability in their home and community while still spending quality time with both parents.

She also highlights how platforms like Airbnb have improved the experience for traveling parents. Unlike hotels, an Airbnb allows visiting parents and children to enjoy a home-like environment—cooking meals together, attending local activities, and providing a more comfortable, familiar space for younger children to play. She concludes that air travel and short-term rentals have made it far more practical for parents to maintain meaningful parenting time, even when they cannot live in the same city as their children.