Moving Out of State

[irishfitz0001]

My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Ohio
I am being transferred for work from Ohio to Michigan. I need to report to the new location the beginning of February. I have filed the intent to relocate with the court and for visitation issues. However we have been going through revising our shared parenting plan for the past 4 months, due to being transferred last September. My ex (we were never married) had filed for custody at that time etc etc, the court talked to our children and based on heir findings custody was left alone and we have just been trying to agree on a new visitation schedule. My question is we do not have a court date for almost 2 months and I am expected to report to the new location well before that. The commute would not be feasible due to distance and the extra time away from home and my children. Is there anything I can do to be allowed to move prior to the court date? I have already told the court that the new transportation costs would be my responsibility, so as to not inconvience my ex, also he would not lose any visitation time during or after the move, as we will only be a couple hours away, the children will still go every other weekend, holidays etc.
On a side note, the children are pre-teens and have absolutely no desire to live with their father and his family. They have been told recently if they move they will be picked on, left in a dumpster, that they are brainwashed and can't think for themselves, just to touch the surface. They are comfortable with the move and it will be very beneficial to our lives long term. Their father gets them on the court appointed visitation, but other than that, has no contact in between, doesn't call them mid week to just talk.
Do I have any other options other than attempting to commute?

[Dogmatique]

Can we assume that Dad is going to object to the move?

If that's the case, you really don't want to risk moving without permission from the court.

Their ages likely won't carry much - if any - weight.

With that said, are they in counseling?

[irishfitz0001]

We have done counseling in the past, usually it has been to prepare them for the extended visitation in the summer, because they don't enjoy going for that long (he works construction jobs so isn't there much). When I have asked the counselor about keeping up the sessions, he has said "Oh just make an appt if/when you need to again" and hasn't seen the need for regular sessions.
Their Dad is objecting, I'm not sure exactly of his reasons, since he will see them just as often as he does now. I am just wondering if there is any way of trying to either speed things up in the courts or have them give me permission to move prior to the court date, with the understanding that I will still attend hearings and so forth.