Do you have a complicated relationship with your ex? Is your ex making wild accusations about your parenting, badmouthing you to the kids, or doing everything possible NOT to let you see your children?
Parenting after a breakup can be heartbreaking, especially when it's your relationship with your kids that is suffering the most. To remain strong, you have to flex your legal rights.
Court Orders Have the Force of the Law
When a judge makes an order about custody and visitation, it is legally enforceable; no questions asked. You need to:
- Keep a copy of your court order in a safe, accessible location.
- Ensure that your court order is clear about the details, such as holidays, birthdays, vacations etc.
- If you and your ex have agreed on significant changes, get a new court order that reflects these changes.
What do I do if my ex won't let me see the kids?
It happens all the time: An ex says the kids "are sick," or "at a friend's house," or "they don't want to see you this week." Or, your ex says that you're late on child support, so you're not going to see your kids until you pay up. None if this is okay.
If your ex isn't adhering to the child custody order, you have options:
- Contact the police and ask them to enforce the order.
- Contact the DA's office and look for the Child Abduction Recovery Unit.
- Contact our office and file an action for "contempt" with the court.
With a contempt of court action, you're asking the court to enforce the custody order and to make a finding that your ex willfully disobeyed the court order. Since this can have serious consequences, it's best to talk to a lawyer from our firm about it.
Be sure to keep detailed records of all violations. Record all dates and times that your ex violated the order, didn't show up, showed up late, or caused other problems.
Contact our office to speak with a Los Angeles child custody attorney.
