Looking for suggestions

[kevkermit]

Our children have not been able to attend extracurricular activities such as sports because my ex will not assist in the transportation of the children on his days of visitation.  During his portion of summer visit son wanted to participate in football practices and he refused to allow it unless I drove wherever they were camping in the state of Michigan to pick son up, take him to practice and then return son to him after practice.  Same with daughters basketball practices over the summer.  Neither child played sports this year.

I have requested assistance with transportation to and from the course on the days that interfere with visitation.

I have also offered several different alternatives in order to accommodate for any make-up time for my ex.

Ex has refused to allow the our kids to attend any extracurricular activities such as the driver's education program unless Plaintiff provides transportation completely. (which I did provide all transportation to and from in addition to dropping our son off at my ex's after drivers ed so that his entire visit wasn't forfeited, as drivers ed is over now).

Our son will be turning sixteen years old in January (??) and has expressed wishes to obtain a part-time job which may pose problems with parenting time in future.

In addition to this, my ex had 16 yr old son and 14 yr old daughter sleeping on bedroom floor with 35 yr old disabled woman and another 16 yr old girl.  Since mentioned this he is now taking our children to his parents house on his overnights, dropping them off there, picking them up sometimes for few hours then dropping them back off at his parents house to sleep.  Daughter is sleeping on couch and son is sleeping in bedroom.  He isn't staying with them.  (I DO get along with his parents, but he is dropping them off there every overnight visit so they have a place to sleep as they can't sleep at his house apparently)


1) Do you feel these are all legitimate grounds to request modification of parenting time?

2) Regarding my ex taking the kids to his parents house to sleep, do you have any suggestions as to how I can address this matter as I believe that the kids can stay at home and sleep just as well as at their grandparents every other weekend and the defendant could pick them up from my home.  (I don't have a problem with his parents, as they have called me on numerous occasions to see the kids)

3) Any suggestions as to how I might address these matters in a motion?

Thanks for your input.  I greatly appreciate it.

[socrateaser]

>1) Do you feel these are all legitimate grounds to request
>modification of parenting time?

I think that things like a job and driver's ed are very legitimate and that a clarification order should be sought if one parent is picking up the brunt of the cost related to this, even if the children are with the other parent during these times.

>
>2) Regarding my ex taking the kids to his parents house to
>sleep, do you have any suggestions as to how I can address
>this matter as I believe that the kids can stay at home and
>sleep just as well as at their grandparents every other
>weekend and the defendant could pick them up from my home.  (I
>don't have a problem with his parents, as they have called me
>on numerous occasions to see the kids)

Don't make this an issue of this, as long as the kids are well cared for when they're with the other parent/grandparent, unless the kids are uncomfortable and complaining about it. If they are, then you can seek a clarification order regarding this issue as well.

>
>3) Any suggestions as to how I might address these matters in
>a motion?

Petitioner requests that the court order Respondent to have the children for overnight at Respondent's home, rather than Respondent's parents' home, on grounds that Respondent's parents do not have sufficient living space in which to give the children reasonable privacy and comfort.

Petitioner further requests that the court order Respondent to contribute to one have of the transportation, and costs thereof, incident to any exchange of custody and also order Respondent to accomodate the certain extracurricular activities into Respondent's parenting time schedule, on grounds that the best interests of the children will be served by their participation in these activities:

(name them)

That's about how I'd write the basic motion. Then I'd need an affidavit with testimony and facts to support my requests.

[kevkermit]

Respondent was having children sleep on floor with 2 other females.  His solution to this was to drop the kids off at his parents a half hour away to sleep at nights.  

I do get along with his parents so I don't want to step on toes there.

Thanks for the information.