Family law

Moved? How Do You Update Your Address With the Court and Your Co-Parent?

Quick answer

When you move during or after a custody, support, or divorce case, the court and your co-parent need your new address. Skipping this step can mean missed hearings, missed deadlines, and orders made without you in the room.

Researched by Dan Martin, Legal Researcher · Published by Onbello Legal · Last updated June 2026

Watch this explained

Moved? Update your address with the court and your co-parent

Why your address matters in a family law case

Courts send notices, hearing dates, and orders to the address on file. If that address is old, the mail still counts as delivered in most situations, and the case keeps moving whether you saw it or not. A missed hearing can lead to a ruling based only on what the other side presented.

Your co-parent also needs a current address. Many custody and parenting plans require each parent to tell the other where the child will be living, and some orders treat a move as a change that must be shared in advance. This is separate from the court's own records, so both updates usually need to happen.

How to update the court

Most courts have a simple form for a change of address or contact information. It is typically a one-page document that lists your case number, your old address, and your new one. You file it with the clerk in the same court that handles your case, and the clerk adds it to the file so future notices go to the right place.

The exact form name, whether you can file online, and whether there is a fee varies by state and sometimes by county. Check your state's guide or the court's self-help center for the current process. If you have more than one open case, such as a custody case and a separate support case, you may need to update each one.

Telling your co-parent, and proving you did

After you file with the court, the other parent or their attorney generally has to receive a copy. This is often called service or notice. The method can be as simple as mailing a copy, but the rules for who may send it and how it is documented vary by state, so confirm the accepted method before you rely on it.

Keep proof. Save a copy of the filed form, a note of the date you sent it, and any confirmation from the court or a co-parenting app. If a dispute comes up later about whether the other parent knew where you lived, a dated record is far stronger than memory.

When a move is more than an address change

Updating your address is about paperwork. Moving a child's primary home, especially a long distance or out of state, can be a bigger legal event. Many custody orders include rules about relocation that may require advance written notice to the other parent, a waiting period, or the other parent's agreement or a court order before the move.

If your move changes the child's school, the exchange location, or the travel time between homes, review your existing order closely and check your state's guide on relocation. Updating your address does not by itself change the parenting schedule, and it does not give permission to move the child if your order requires more.

Tools and resources

Where to check this

Forms, deadlines, and local rules change. Verify anything on this page against the official self-help resources for your state before you rely on it.

This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship. Laws and local rules vary and change. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed family-law attorney in your state.