child support/parenting plan/harassing text messages

[Tamiacat]

My ex and I have a 6 y.o. autistic daughter. Our parenting plan allows her father to have supervised visitation twice a week and requires him to pay child support. He has stopped paying child support and has sent me thousands of text messages saying that he will not pay until I change the parenting plan to allow him unsupervised visitation and he will quit his job so I cannot have child support deducted from his paycheck. He has told me that he has someone following me and has accused me of leaving our child alone in the home (not true). He claims that I sent someone to physically hurt him (not true), he tells our daughter that Mommy hates Daddy and won't let Daddy see her (not true) and he frequently sends nasty messages to my phone 20, 30 or 50+ times a day.

I have saved and printed every text that he has sent in the past year (over 500 pages). Last week, I filed a motion for civil contempt of court to get back child support. Our parenting plan states that we can communicate about our daughter by text and email, but I am tired of constantly being harassed by text message. How can I get this to stop? Since he has not threatened to physically hurt me, I have been told that I cannot get a restraining order, but the constant harassment is emotionally draining. What can I do? I cannot afford to hire an attorney as I am still paying the debt I incurred during the 18 month paternity case.

 

[army judge]

Simple solution, buy the cheapest prepaid phone you can find.
I mean CHEAP, as in ten bucks cheap.
Give him the number to cheap, prepaid phone you'll NEVER USE.
Use that phone ONLY for him to communicate about the kid.
Then turn the damn thing off.

Problem solved, except you have to change the number on your current cell phone.
Whatever you do, don't give him that number.

Or, get a cheap landline. That'll stop the texting. Then turn the volume off on the landline, no calls will ever need to be answered.

Either way, you'll need to make sure you address his behavior at your next court hearing.
Show the court your 500 pages of harassment proof.
You'll want to request that the order be amended to communicate by snail mail, copies to the court, unless its an emergency about your child. Make sure the court defines the emergency: health issues of the child and if she was kidnapped or went missing would be the only emergencies that should be allowed under the order.

 

[ElleMD]

Your child and your well being are worth the expense to hire a lawyer. You need one.

 

[Betty3]

I cannot afford to hire an attorney as I am still paying the debt I incurred during the 18 month paternity case.

You might try your local legal aid society or your local or state bar assoc. for a referral to a possible no cost/low cost attorney. If you have a local law school, you might try there.