Ngl i'm in a difficult situation and trying to figure out my next steps.
ex-spouse relocating with children. I've been dealing with this for about 6 months now and the situation isn't improving.
What are my legal options here? Is it worth pursuing?
Have you tried reaching out to your state's legal aid society? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.
With true 50/50 custody in California, neither parent has a presumptive right to relocate with the children. The LaMusga and Burgess framework applies, and the court will evaluate the best interests of the children. Your strongest arguments: (1) 50/50 custody demonstrates that both parents are equally involved — disrupting this harms the children's relationship with you, (2) school-age children have established community ties, friendships, and extracurricular activities, (3) 'flying down every other weekend' is not a workable plan for maintaining a meaningful parental relationship, (4) the motivation for the move (remarriage) is personal to the parent, not primarily beneficial to the children. File a motion to prevent relocation immediately. The court may issue temporary orders preserving the status quo while the matter is litigated. Move quickly — if she relocates before you file, it becomes harder (but not impossible) to reverse.
Document everything going forward. You'll need it if this escalates.
Small claims court is a good option if the amount is under your state's limit.
Similar situation here. Interested in what worked for others.