01 / Maine family law / Relocation & interstate custody
Read the relocation language in the existing order first.
Maine’s parental-rights statute requires orders to address notice of an intended relocation. The statute states that, generally, the relocating parent must provide at least 30 days’ notice; when the move must occur sooner, notice is required as soon as possible. It also provides a safety route through the court when notice to the other parent would create danger. [1]
Do not turn that summary into a substitute for the actual order. Read the order, current statute and any safety restrictions together.
02 / Maine family law / Relocation & interstate custody
Maine identifies relocation as a possible substantial change in circumstances.
Section 1657 identifies specified relocations or intended relocations as substantial changes in circumstances. It also states that moving a child more than 60 miles from the residence of the relocating parent or the other parent is presumed to disrupt parent-child contact for purposes of the statutory provision. [2]
The legal question is not merely whether a parent is allowed to move as an adult. The child-related order, contact schedule and best-interest analysis may require review.
03 / Maine family law / Relocation & interstate custody
Crossing a state line creates a jurisdiction question that is separate from whether a move is wise.
Maine’s UCCJEA governs which state has authority to make or modify certain child-custody determinations. Section 1657 expressly says Maine’s modification jurisdiction is limited by the UCCJEA when another state may have jurisdiction. [3]
Do not assume that filing first in the new state automatically transfers authority. Existing orders, the child’s history and continuing jurisdiction matter.
04 / Maine family law / Relocation & interstate custody
An out-of-state order may need registration before Maine can enforce or modify it.
The Judicial Branch explains a process for registering a foreign order in Maine and provides the required affidavit form. Whether Maine may then modify the order depends on jurisdictional law. [4]
Keep a certified copy of the operative order and a clear chronology of where the child and parents have lived. Jurisdiction problems are much harder to sort out from incomplete dates.
05 / Maine family law / Relocation & interstate custody
A useful relocation proposal addresses the child’s life, not only the adults’ positions.
- School and childcare.
- Transportation and exchange logistics.
- Regular contact and longer blocks of time.
- Technology contact where appropriate.
- Costs and allocation of travel duties.
- Medical, therapeutic and extracurricular continuity.
- What happens when weather, work or travel failures disrupt the plan.
06 / Maine family law / Relocation & interstate custody
Jurisdiction should not become procedural hide-and-seek.
A learned profession should identify the controlling state and the controlling order early. Families should not spend months litigating merits before anyone decides which court has authority to act.
Sources & method
- 19-A M.R.S. §1653 — Parental rights and responsibilities
- 19-A M.R.S. §1657 — Modification of parental-rights orders
- Maine Revised Statutes — Title 19-A, Chapter 58 (UCCJEA)
- Maine Judicial Branch — Changing or Enforcing a Final Order
This page summarizes linked primary government sources and adds clearly labeled organizational guidance and editorial opinion. It does not predict a judge’s decision, replace current official forms or create an attorney-client relationship. Rules and forms can change; verify the current source before filing. Request a specific correction without sending confidential child records.
