hd, you're getting a lot of naysayers here about you moving, so you probably aren't too happy with that. But I'm sure everyone's reasoning is what's best for your son, and it's just standard practice for kids to do worse without both parents showing an active interest. I think most people's fear is that, once you move, your ex will care or try to see his son less and less. No offense to the guys here, but it is fairly common, even when in close proximity. Especially if the dad remarries. So adding in the distance only exacerbates the potential problems.

Only you know your situation, but if you're really positive that all 3 of you adults are in it for the long haul and determined to keep up a strong loving bond, one that doesn't deteriorate through the stress of shipping a kid back and forth all the time, it could work. But that's a lot of if's. Your bf sounds wonderful, but are you sure that whatever caused his first marriage to fail won't resurface, that it may have been partially caused by him and that he might bring the same issues into your son's new home? And are you sure that you have learned to overcome whatever didn't allow your first marriage to survive as well? I'm not saying you and your bf are bad people, just that you're human. Being human, and having one strike against you, I'd like to be sure that you guys have really worked out any issues and are near-perfect partners and parents moving forward. Step-parenting is so very hard. Especially if the ex isn't entirely great, which always makes things worse.

Just sayin' that I hope you go into it with both eyes wide open to the ramifications.

To have co/parenting and have his mother and father in his life is great <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />until one wants to move away. The court always says "best interest of the child"to be in same school, same friends, same set of parents in same place. My husband and his ex had 50/50 custody for 8 years. She moved 150 miles from us and the court ordered his son to remain in the county that we live so she lost her 50/50 custody. ALSO child support and custody are two seperate issues. Money has nothing to do with time. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I think the reality is that custody and child support are very much related. The parent having less custody would have a higher child suport obligation than if the custody were equally split.

IOW, houston's situation would mean that not only would her ex lose custody, he would also owe more in child support. That always struck me as a paradoxical double-whammy, but that is how the system works.

AGG

Texas AG has child support guidelines that most family courts in Texas follow.

1 child - 20% of net pay plus NCP provides health insurance or insurance reimbursement. 2 kids - 25%, 3 kids - 30%, etc. Caps out I think at 40% net pay. Insurance applies to all children. Several online calculators are available for rough estimates of child support. Make sure you use a calculator for Texas. Different states – different rules. Having multiple kids with different mothers has totally different rules.

I would need to clarify this again, but non-payment of child support in Texas is not grounds for witholding visitation. CP can have a warrant issued by the Texas AG and have your ex arrested or ordered to appear in family court. I have heard stories of family court judges ordering NCP at these hearings to come up with the $$ or to gray bar hilton they shall go. NCP also can use the custody decree and have the local police gain them visitation. If you have a residence requirement for the child and a parent moves outside the residence area with the child; getting a temporary order is a fairly simple process. Order in hand, you get the local police to serve it and bring the child back to the residence area. The CP is ordered to appear back in family court with some explaining to do.

The IRS has a rule that max net income garnishment is 40%. The other interesting IRS rule is first judgment filed is paid first from garnishment. The IRS 40% rule does not stop you from owing child support, just the amount garnished. Been awhile, but I think a debt to IRS supersedes any other garnishment. I try to keep from owing IRS back taxes myself.