Child Placement - any attorneys here?
Hi there,
I have been divorced for a year, we were separated for almost 2 years before that. My son is now 4 1/2 and lives with me during the week, and with my ex every 1st, 3rd and 4th weekends. We're each allowed to keep him for 1 weeks worth of vacation a year. This is our court mandated placement schedule.
My ex just called and informed me that he wants our son for the summer, from June to August starting this year. He starts kindergarten in the fall and of course, would be with me during the school year. We live about 160 miles apart. He has never exercised his right to take him for a weeks vacation even with my urging. I let him keep him an extra day on a weekend if it's a holiday so he can spend an extra day with him. Any time I've offered to let him have him for more time the answer is always no - he has plans or doesn't have gas money.
He is also an alcoholic. When he gets depressed he makes crank calls to me. The last one resulted in my calling the cops and him getting a verbal warning. If it happens again he gets a ticket and a restraining order.
He is threatening me that if I don't work this out with him, he will take me to court and to fight to change the placment and child support (his big driver). My questions are this:
- Since we are in different counties and my son lives here, can he go through the county were he lives (I do NOT want to have to take off from work to drive there for hearings). My son has residencey here, does that matter?
- He says he was told he has the right to have placement reviewed every two years. Is that correct?
- Where do I go to get questions answered - attorneys first, some family agency??
- any time I've offered to have him spend time with our son the answer is always no. Will this have any bearing on this?
Usually his threats are just that and fizzle out. This is the second time he's mentioned this so I want to be ready if he actually follows through with it. And I do not want this to go through his county - they are very liberal and it took almost 2 years and a lot of $$ because they made me bear the burden of proof that he's an alcoholic. I want whats best for my son but I don't want him hurt either. This kid is on the road a lot and I know he would like to spend more time with his dad.
To be perfectly selfish, if I agree (or have it forced on me), it would really hinder my bike rides on the weekend, lol. I couldn't race if I wanted or do longer distance rides without the expense of not seeing him.
TIA ladies....
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