Marriage of Christel, 101 Wn. App. 13, 1 P.3d 600 (2000).

Outcome: Successful appeal of child relocation case.

Description: John Blanchard filed an action to enforce the parenting plan for his six-year-old son, Chase. John sought a restraining order to prevent Chase's mother, Teena Christel, from moving back to Tacoma from Seattle. To maintain Chase's enrollment in the same school, John sought a reversal of the residential schedule pending completion of the dispute resolution process. The existing parenting plan provided for joint decision-making on any change of school and dispute resolution if agreement was not reached. The trial court revised two commissioner's rulings. Teena appealed the trial court's order. She asserted that the trial court impermissibly modified the dispute resolution process and impermissibly imposed a restriction on Teena's ability to move. The appellate court held the court improperly modified the dispute resolution process and the residential schedule, but did not restrict the mother's right to move. Therefore, the appellate court reversed the trial court's ruling.