Divorce isn’t just hard on you and your spouse. It can take a real toll on your children. Visitation schedules should be made with the kids in mind so it’s as easy as possible on everyone involved. It can get complicated to come up with a schedule that works for everyone, but you should do your best to be understood and offer understanding. If your ex-spouse violates the visitation schedule, what should you do?
Keep Detailed Records
Whether it was a one-time occurrence, or it keeps on happening, be sure to keep detailed records about the violations. If your ex-spouse keeps the kids longer than he or she should, write down how much longer the visitation lasted and what contact you had with the children. If your ex-spouse fails to pick up the children from you at the agreed upon time, keep track of how long it took the ex-spouse to finally arrive and what kinds of emotions the children were experiencing while waiting.
Call the Police
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If your divorce was amicable and you feel confident your children are in no imminent danger, you may not need to call the police. If your divorce was high-conflict and you are worried about the children, you should call the police. For example, if you still trust your ex-spouse and you know he or she was taking the kids to a movie, you could just assume the movie went longer than expected and he or she will have them back soon. However, if your ex-spouse has threatened to keep the kids and you have no idea why he or she is late getting them back to you and he or she isn’t answering your calls, that would be a good time to involve the authorities.
Revisit the Visitation Schedule
If you are able to work well with your former spouse, you could work together to revise the visitation schedule. If one of you is having a hard time keeping time commitments because of a work situation, it might be easy to make a few adjustments. If your former spouse has a new job that requires him or her to work on the day he or she typically has the kids, you could switch nights.
Take It Back to Court
When you and your former spouse are unable to come to a new agreement on your own, you may have to involve the court. This is often the case when there are drastic changes that need to be made. Keep in mind that changing the visitation schedule could have an effect on child support obligations as well.
Contacting a Lawyer for Assistance
If your ex-spouse keeps violating the visitation schedule with your kids, it might be time to take legal action. For assistance in knowing what you can do, contact a divorce lawyer, like a divorce lawyer in Rockville, MD, today.
Thanks to The Law Office of Daniel J. Wright for their insight into what you should do if your ex-spouse violates your visitation schedule.
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