One of the best links I've see in ages! Thank you!!

I put fragile on all the boxed I brought over, nothing was broken at all. I wouldn't recommend bring a box of glass vases but other than that i'm sure it will be ok if you pack them well. Good luck...x

20 years here myself (florida)
homesickness calls at me every day
just dont know how to get the ball rolling for moving

but I feel your pain..

Hi
I am moving back in a few months after being in USA for 25 years. Yes, its overwhelming. I have sold a lot of my stuff on craigslist and had a huge yard sale. I didn't look into the cost of shipping stuff as most of my stuff is used and my sister said I can pick up stuff second hand. I will look into the cargo on the airplane as mentioned in the previous post. My daughter and grandson are planning to follow once I am settled. She has sole custody of him. We are hoping this is sufficient on her letting her leave the country with him? Maybe you could give us some guidance in that respect? Good luck to you. I wish you all the best.

I'm not sure of the rules there is a member here that knows them but I forget who Sorry. But I bet if you dig about on here http://www.reunite.org/ You'll find the legalities for your Daughter

Thanks for posting that link. I've decided to do the door to door service because it's less hassle.

Hi, yes, it's better to just get rid of all the big stuff. Furniture is easy to replace. In regards to your daughter, it would be best if she received written permission from the father. Good luck to you! Take care.

I'm ready to move while the kids are still young and have them attend UK schools etc. It might be more difficult to move once they are older and more set in their ways. I hope that it works out for you. Good luck to you.

Why did you move to USA?
Have you gone back home to visit?
Life is too short to spend it living in the wrong country.
Take care.

written permission from the father? Does anyone know if that is required even though she has sole custody? Any help would be great. I doubt the father would give written permission even though he hasn't kept contact with his son in over 2 years?

Even when the mother has sole custody some fathers still have visits.
Unless the fathers rights have been terminated she'd need his permission to leave the country or some sort of court order or papers.

it seemed like a good idea at the time to move here,
arrived in 1990
but miss uk way of life, the ability to jump on a ferry and be in europe in 30 mins, going to football (big difference than watching it on tv)
village pubs, uk humour and most of all family and new family members I have not yet seen .

It might just be Florida- flat, no decent jobs, horrible humid summers
renecks , and for Orlando, a horrible crime rate.(although where I am is quiet.)
no one socialises here all go to work leave the house, come back and close the door. and dont get me started on living in Home Owners Associations !
maybe New England would be better for me but US wife likes the heat

Good luck to you returning to the uk. I did it last august 2011 after being in the US for 23 years. I have to say it's the best decision I ever made. It feels soooo good to be home again, back where I belong. It hasn't been all smooth sailing but we are getting there.

Could you offer the father (whom sounds not much more than a 'sperm donor') a sweetener to give written permission - which would probably need to be notarised?

I have no idea if he pays child support, but if he does, perhaps your daughter would be willing to stop further payments from him if he agrees that the child can go and live in the UK?

On the other hand, if he pays nothing towards child support, the thought that he may have to start paying a regular amount agreed by the Courts may persuade him to allow the child to move to the UK if your daughter agrees to waive any claim to child support from him?

Your daughter would need to offer/agree to keep up regular contact between her son and his father eg. by Skype, phone calls and perhaps allowing her son to visit his father in the US or to pay for a cheap flight so the father can fly to the UK to see his son. He sounds like a deadbeat dad in any case, so it's very likely that he probably wouldn't bother to keep up contact after his son moves to the UK.

If he really digs his heels in and all else fails, perhaps a cash sum of say, between $500 to $1000 might sweeten the deal to get his agreement

Which State are you in?

They all have different laws pertaining to child custody. For example, I'm in New Jersey. The law here is that any child born in NJ or has been resident for 5 years is considered a 'native of the State of NJ'. It means that say, if a couple split up and one of the parents wishes to move with the child to another State, if the other parent objects then this can only be done with the agreement of the Court. Some parents can't move out of State. My friend's landlady can't move more than 25 miles away from Brooklyn, New York because her ex-spouse got a court order preventing her moving further away with the children.

This very same friend is planning to move back to Australia by the end of this year; she has a child with her partner and the relationship is a bit rocky. Their child was born in Oz but the father is American and she has dual nationality. However, he is already 3 years old and she wants to get him out of NJ before he turns 5 and her partner - who may be an ex-partner the way things are going - would definitely prevent their child from leaving the US.

Check your State law.....you should be able to find the info online if you google the name of the State and 'Child Custody' or Child Custody Disputes, and then dig deeper about taking the child across State lines or overseas.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the encouraging feedback. I expect things will be tough after being gone for so long. At least I'll be back in my home country and live closer to family.