Visitation Issues

[LWhite]

I am having some difficulty with seeing my daughters.  They live in a different state as I do, and my ex-wife seems to always have some reason why I cannot come to get them on the dates we discuss.

I am without a visitation agreement becuase when we were divorced, the court did not award custody to anyone due to the out of state jurisdiction.  I however was ordered to pay alimony and child support and I still get no cooperation from my e-wife.  I live in Ohio and the children reside in Michigan with their mother.  I need to find a way to get visitation established so that I have to rights to see my children.

I do not want to take them from their mother, (they are more than welcome to come and live me if they like) but for now I just want to see them when it is my turn.  I really love and miss them.

Can someone help me please!!  God Bless

L. White

[joni]

....I know, from experience.  You need to go back to court and get a court order regarding visitation that reads like an UAW contract.  Be exact for holidays, days of the week, weekends, holidays, vacations, phone calls.

Also put into your agreement HEFTY fines for noncompliance by either party.  Otherwise, you're wasting you time and will become more and more frustrated without an agreement in place.

[stepma]

If your Divorce Decree doesn't say anything at all you are gonna have to go and file for some sort of visitation.

If your Decree states that you are allowed reasonable visitation......
You should send a certified letter to Ex stating that you intend to excercise your visitation and give date and time you will be there. Be sure to add that she contact you by certified mail within a month if dates and times cause a conflict with children schedules.

If she calls and screws around with you still .... send the missed visitation letter to her ( the format is on this web site somewhere) make sure you keep all documentation for court.

If you have to show up in Michigan to pick up children bring everything ( divorce decree, certified letter etc.) and call the cops if she wont let you take them.  

TAKE ALL EVIDENCE TO COURT AND FILE FOR CONTEMPT EVERY TIME SHE DOES IT. (you may end up with custody if you try hard enough)