Changing the Mourner's Place in the Synagogue When His Sons Sit Before Him

A mourner whose father passed away is required to change his place in the synagogue, and it is customary throughout the year for his sons to pray beside him. If he changes his place in the synagogue and sits further from the Ark, his sons will sit several rows before him. Is there a problem with this? (There is no option to change the place for the whole family)

There is no halachic issue with the son sitting before his father at a distance of four amot from him, and the custom is to be lenient in fixed places in the synagogue, allowing sitting before the father even within four amot, as it is not strict to sit beside the father.

It is stated in the Gemara Berachot, page 27a: "Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: A person should never pray opposite his teacher nor behind his teacher." And it is written in the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, Siman 90, Paragraph 24, and in Yoreh De'ah, Siman 242, Paragraph 16, that it is also forbidden for a son to sit before his teacher because it is a disrespect to the teacher. And it is written in the Mishnah Berurah, Siman 90, Se'if Katan 72, in the name of Chayei Adam, that this also applies to his father. And the Rema wrote: "There is an opinion that all this only applies to praying alone, but in a congregation, if this is the order of his seating, there is no concern if he prays before or behind him." However, it is explained in the Shulchan Aruch that if the teacher is at a distance of four amot, there is no disrespect, as the disrespect is when one's back is to the teacher, and this is not so noticeable. Therefore, even if he is not behind his father, nevertheless, since he needs to distance himself by four amot to be considered as distanced, there is no prohibition. Moreover, the Rema already wrote that the custom is to be lenient in this in fixed places in the congregation. And the custom is that a father prays beside his son, and there is no strictness in this matter.