Visitation & communication issue.

[eagledude]

1) My ex-wife has blocked my communication with the children via facebook.
I was talking to them both everyday until recently when I had the child support reduced and she blocked me as a friend on their own personal computers out of spite. Does she have the right to do this? What forms do I file to have this heard in court?

2) She moved 100 miles away some years ago. We would always meet 1/2 way to do the exchange or she would drop them off with me & I would in turn take them back to her. Again, because of the child support issue she said she will no longer be do any driving & I would be responsible for picking them up and dropping them off. Since she is the one that moved or just because it is fair to share the driving expenses, can I have her forced to meet me and what forms do I file to have this heard in court?

Thank you for your help,
Mike

 

[CdwJava]

1) My ex-wife has blocked my communication with the children via facebook.
I was talking to them both everyday until recently when I had the child support reduced and she blocked me as a friend on their own personal computers out of spite. Does she have the right to do this? What forms do I file to have this heard in court?

Unless the court requires she allow them access to a computer to speak to you - or anyone else - via Facebook, she can restrict such access. You can certainly seek to modify the custody and visitation orders to permit this, but I doubt that a court will so much discretion away from the parent who has custody or visitation at the time.

However, given the distance apart, you MIGHT be able to get a modified order allowing communication via chat during certain hours and days of the week. I doubt that any court will allow unlimited access, but, perhaps, access between certain times of the day and days of the week might be in order ... provided the children are not otherwise occupied, and that they have access to a computer (i.e. they are not restricted form use for some other reason).

2) She moved 100 miles away some years ago. We would always meet 1/2 way to do the exchange or she would drop them off with me & I would in turn take them back to her. Again, because of the child support issue she said she will no longer be do any driving & I would be responsible for picking them up and dropping them off. Since she is the one that moved or just because it is fair to share the driving expenses, can I have her forced to meet me and what forms do I file to have this heard in court?

If you go back to court and the orders are modified, yes, she can be compelled to comply with a new court order. No, I can't tell you the likelihood of this occurring as it depends on all the details and the opinion of a judge.

- Carl

 

[mightymoose]

Does your current order provide a location and time for child exchange? If it doesn't address the issue then you can have it modified. If it does, hold her to it and report the violation if she refuses.
Her behavior is a typical response to child support issues and she won't be able to use child support as a reason to justify her actions.
I don't think you can do much over the Facebook issue. Having blocked you I would think it would cause the kids to resent her for it if they look forward to your communication with them. You still have the old-fashioned telephone call... and if she refuses to allow those then you certainly have a legitimate complaint that she is refusing access to your children.