When someone threatens to limit your access to your child, tries to sever your relationship with your child, or otherwise acts to interfere with your relationship with your child, your natural response is to fight.  How you choose to fight to protect your relationship with your child has a greater influence on the outcome than the threat.  Resorting to "self help" rarely works. Seeking out competent legal counsel greatly increases the likelihood of a favorable outcome, including an award of primary custody.

Although it is counter-intuitive, many custody battles would never erupt if both parties knew for certain what their post-separation/post-divorce monthly cash flow was going to be. Custody battles often end as soon as both parties feel financially secure.

"Move-away" motions in particular provoke the "fight" reflex and are very expensive, time consuming and emotionally draining.  In the last few years, both the law and psychological theories about how children bond have undergone significant change. Current psychological thinking recognizes that children form many "primary" relationships, not just one or two as previously believed. Children also form strong bonds to "place". Neighborhoods, schools, clubs, teams, friends, and even pets are important to children.