what is our legal obligation....

[usmcfamily]

Just a quick question -- I am the sole custodial parent of my 4 1/2 yr old daughter...my ex is allowed visitation in the amount of 1 weekend/month and we are to alternate Christmas/Thanksgiving....when this order was issued my daughter and I were living in OR and he in ID -- we (daughter, myself and my husband) recently relocated to NC. Bio-dad has only ever used his visitation 2 -3 times a year (not every month he is entitled to) and hasn't seen his daughter since July (or attempted to contact for that matter), but now has decided he wants to have his holiday this year (his Christmas year)....my question is that since travel costs were never addressed in the original order what is our responsibility legally as to the cost of his visitation? I know in a perfect world we would all be getting along and wouldn't mind splitting things 50/50, but this isn't a perfect world and he has burned us too many times before when we have been extra-cooperative in facilitating his sporadic relationship with her (ie not returning her, calling at last minute and demanding we drive 500 miles ...before our move....to pick her up as he couldn't get away to return her as agreed, etc). We are concerned with legal obligations now as all trying to "play nice" hasn't paid off and we are through with going above/beyond our obligations.....what are they? Will we be required to supply half the airfare of transporting her from NC to ID --- she is too young to fly alone so an adult would have to go -- does that mean we would have to pay for half his ticket to for the trips?? HELP!!!!

 

[LegalBeagle]

Just a quick question -- I am the sole custodial parent of my 4 1/2 yr old daughter...my ex is allowed visitation in the amount of 1 weekend/month and we are to alternate Christmas/Thanksgiving....when this order was issued my daughter and I were living in OR and he in ID -- we (daughter, myself and my husband) recently relocated to NC. Bio-dad has only ever used his visitation 2 -3 times a year (not every month he is entitled to) and hasn't seen his daughter since July (or attempted to contact for that matter), but now has decided he wants to have his holiday this year (his Christmas year)....my question is that since travel costs were never addressed in the original order what is our responsibility legally as to the cost of his visitation? I know in a perfect world we would all be getting along and wouldn't mind splitting things 50/50, but this isn't a perfect world and he has burned us too many times before when we have been extra-cooperative in facilitating his sporadic relationship with her (ie not returning her, calling at last minute and demanding we drive 500 miles ...before our move....to pick her up as he couldn't get away to return her as agreed, etc). We are concerned with legal obligations now as all trying to "play nice" hasn't paid off and we are through with going above/beyond our obligations.....what are they? Will we be required to supply half the airfare of transporting her from NC to ID --- she is too young to fly alone so an adult would have to go -- does that mean we would have to pay for half his ticket to for the trips?? HELP!!!!

It was up to him to re-petition the courts to get this sorted. Legally you do not have to pay a dime and it is unlikely that a court would back date an order and make you pay for the trip.

You could get prices for the airfare for the child and agree to pay for this ticket once the visitation is over. No other expenses to be paid for and he has to come and pick the child up and return the child. Futhermore, he has to arrive a day (maybe two) days in advance so as to spend time with the child before taking her away for a week.