Keep Fighting!!! Your children are worth it! About the same thing happened to me, my ex wife tried to leave with the kids and move 800 miles away. When the courts told her she would not get custody, she dropped the kids off at my door step the next day and left. I ended up getting custody and everyday since she came back (which was approx. 3 months after she left) my life has been a living hell, constantly taking me back to court for petty things. I recently had to move for my job which was approx. 2 hours away from our hometown. Unfortunately after filing all the correct paper work, the courts allowed me to move with children. Although after I moved they sent me a letter forcing me to pay her $400 dollars a month and doubled her visitation also making me have long distance and short distance guideline rules. I have to do all the traveling both ways every other weekend. Upon finding this out I filed an appeal which took about 6 months and 5000 dollars. I won the appeal and the trial courts decided to give the same exact decision only changing their wording a bit. Now I will be filing yet another 5000 dollar appeal here in the next couple weeks hoping for some relief. The reason I am telling you this is to show you it is going to be expensive and it is going to cause stress in your life almost every single day. The courts do not care about fathers and I could go on and on. But what it all comes down to is that your kids are worth it no matter what. Don't give and keep trying to do what is best for them. The courts have made me 100% responsible for everything in my children s life and have not asked her to pay 1 dime towards anything. All they want her to do is sit back, enjoy 4 days a month and summers with the kids while I pay for here not to work. Record every interaction you have with her and the children. Every visit, every conversation, everytime someone coughs because believe it or not down the road you may need it. Good Luck and don't give up.