Is My Fiancée Allowed Around My Children?

Question: I have been divorced for a couple years and recently got engaged. My children love my fiancée, but my ex-wife is very upset about the living arrangements and has threatened to call the police if our kids are left alone with my wife-to-be. Can she do that? There is …

6 Questions Parents Ask About Spring Break Parenting Time

Just like holiday breaks, spring break often brings a slew of parenting-time related questions for divorced parents. Here are six common questions that divorced parents ask regarding their parenting time over spring break.

My Ex Is Charging Me For Unnecessary Child Care

Question: I have fallen behind on payments due my ex for co-pays for child care and other activities she has signed the kids up for. She only alerts me to these things after the fact. I don’t contest the legitimacy of all these expenses, but I do have a major …

Does The Right Of First Refusal Apply?

Question: My ex-spouse and I share 50/50 legal/physical custody of our two children. We follow a one-week alternating custody schedule and both agreed to a right of first refusal in our stipulation, which is vague at best. I frequently work nights and she exercises her first right of refusal by …

Signing Over Temporary Custody To Relative

colorado springs divorce lawyer Stephanie Rikeman

Question: I am in the midst of a custody battle, though I have temporary sole custody of my children. I have a lot of upcoming business travel that I cannot cancel, so I am wondering if I can assign power of attorney or temporary custody to my mother who is …

When Right Of First Refusal Causes More Problems Than It Prevents

Question: I am strongly considering discontinuing practicing right of first refusal because of how difficult and contentious our regular parenting time negotiations can get. My ex always wants to move her parenting time and set up a type of parenting time trade that would wind up being inconvenient to me. …

‘Daycare Expenses’ When My Ex Is Watching The Kids

Question: My ex-wife has offered to watch the children during the day while I’m at work, but she wants to charge me for her providing “daycare, food, and activities” for the children. I think it is unreasonable to pay her to watch her own children in addition to the child …

My Ex Never Offers Me Right of First Refusal

Question: My custody schedule has a right of first refusal clause that my ex-wife exercises almost every time I have to work, though she never lets me use the clause when she is busy. Per our parenting time schedule, I have the kids every other weekend and every Tuesday night …

Illinois’ Right of First Refusal Unanimously Passes Both Houses

By Illinois Fathers In an historic move, Illinois unanimously passed the ‘Right of First Refusal’ on May 22 (HB2992, 98th Session). Illinois becomes the first state to explicitly call for consideration of the ‘Right of First Refusal’ in a parenting plan or court order. It will be added as Section …

Right of First Refusal Clause If Child Care Is Not Required

Question: This is the exact reading of my child custody agreement with my children’s mother. “Plaintiff and Defendant shall each have first right of refusal regarding childcare for the minor children if care is needed for one hour or more and such shall take priority over a boyfriend/girlfriend or future …