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Court Splits Infant Between Athens and Volos; Mother Covers Father's Travel Costs
🇬🇷 Greece /Culture & Society

Court Splits Infant Between Athens and Volos; Mother Covers Father's Travel Costs

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A Greek court has issued a novel decision to split a nine-month-old infant's residency between Athens and Volos.
  • The parents, who are divorced, will share custody, with the child spending nine days a month in Athens with the father and the rest of the time in Volos with the mother.
  • The mother, who moved to Volos without prior agreement, must cover the father's travel and accommodation costs when he visits the child there.

A Greek court has issued a groundbreaking ruling that divides the residency of a nine-month-old infant between Athens and Volos, aiming to ensure balanced contact with both divorced parents. The Monomeles Protodikeio of Athens made the decision after the mother relocated with the child to Volos without the father's written consent or court permission.

The court determined that the child will reside in Athens with the father for nine consecutive days each month, from the first Friday to the second Sunday. The remaining days of the month, the child will live with the mother in Volos. This arrangement also includes specific periods for holidays and summer vacations.

The alternative solution of short-term contact of the applicant with the child exclusively in the mother's place of residence and within temporary short-term rental accommodations (like Airbnb) [...] would expose the infant to excessive physical and mental distress.

— The CourtThe court explained why it rejected the possibility of the father having only brief, temporary contact with the child in Volos.

The court emphasized the importance of maintaining consistent communication between the child and both parents. It rejected the father's potential limited contact in temporary accommodations in Volos, stating such a scenario would cause "excessive physical and mental distress" to the infant. The ruling highlighted that constant travel and a lack of a stable home environment could disrupt the child's routine, affecting sleep, nutrition, and care.

As a consequence of her unilateral move, the mother is obligated to travel to Athens to pick up the child after visits with the father. She must also cover the father's travel expenses to Volos to collect the child and his costs for accommodation there during the fourth weekend of each month, when he is scheduled to see the child. Both parents are permitted daily contact via online applications, and a fine of 200 euros is stipulated for any parent who refuses to hand over the child on the agreed dates.

For the change of the child's place of residence that significantly affects the right of communication of the parent with whom the child does not reside, prior written agreement of the parents or a prior court decision issued upon the request of one of the parents is required.

— The CourtThe court analyzed the mother's unilateral move and the legal requirement for parental consent or court approval for such changes.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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