Is There Ever a Valid Reason Not to Let Your Ex-Spouse Exercise Parenting Time?
It is never easy to let your children venture out into the world when you know about all of the unpleasantness and the dangers out there, but it is part of letting children grow up. You smile and wave goodbye as your children take their seats on the school bus, knowing that they have to get past a lot of South Florida drivers before they get to school. As your teens walk to the mall to hang out on a Saturday afternoon, you hope that they remember to look both ways before crossing the street and not to talk to strangers. What if it isn’t strangers you are worried about, but rather your ex-spouse? How do you knowingly send your kids for a weekend with your ex when you know from experience that your ex is worse than all the road hogs, school bullies, and Internet weirdos in Palm Beach County? It pains you to think that your kids have to put up with your spouse’s impulsivity and passive aggressiveness when you are not there to protect them. As tempting as it may seem, going against your parenting plan will only make you look bad in the eyes of the court. The best way to resolve problems that arise in a difficult co-parenting relationship is with the help of a Boca Raton child custody lawyer.
Don’t React to Your Anger by Disobeying Your Parenting Plan
There is a strong possibility that, during your ex-spouse’s parenting time, your ex will do something that makes you mad. Your ex’s new partner will be present the whole weekend, and your ex and the new partner will act lovey dovey, to your children’s horror. Your former mother-in-law will make an insensitive remark about an ethnic group to which your children are related through your side of the family. It is fine to express your disapproval in a phone conversation or email exchange with your ex. It is not fine to prevent your ex from spending the following weekend with your children.
For that matter, being late with child support payments is not a reason to deviate from the parenting plan. Parenting plans are independent of any financial considerations. Furthermore, child support is not your ex renting parenting time from you. If you withhold your ex’s parenting time, it will only count against you in court. A parenting plan is a court order, and both parents are legally obligated to follow it.
If You Are Genuinely Concerned That Your Children Are Unsafe With Your Ex, Get the Courts Involved
If your ex-spouse is endangering your children’s physical safety, the courts should know this. You should file for a restraining order that suspends your ex’s parenting time or allows for supervised parenting time only. If you do this, you must provide credible evidence that it is not safe for your children to be with your ex without other adult supervision.
Contact Schwartz | White About Coping With a Troublesome Co-Parent
A South Florida family law attorney can help you co-parent gracefully, no matter how difficult your ex-spouse is. Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.
Source:
legaldesire.com/the-dos-and-donts-of-winning-a-child-custody-cases/
