My ex-husband and I were married for 8 years, and have now been divorced for 8 years. During our divorce hearing I was given full custody of our children and he was given visitation 85 days out of the year. The kids and I live in Missouri and ex lives in Tennessee. Ex would take the kids for 2 weeks during Christmas time and for the entire length of their summer break from school. But, in January of this year after they returned from their Christmas visit he went behind my back and filed for temporary custody of the children. In March the courts in Tennessee turned jurisdiction over to Missouri. We had to go to court again on May 20th for him to be allowed to take the children for their summer visit. The judge granted visitation, but then terminated jurisdiction in Missouri. Our attorney and the GAL have told me that when the judge did this that everything went back to the original custody decree and ex would have to return the kids at the end of summer break. But, ex now refuses to return the children to me. He claims that his attorney told him he had been given custody. He has enrolled the kids in school in Tennessee, but has had my name put on a restricted list at both their schools and doctors office. He does allow me to talk to my daughters, but they have to keep it on speaker phone. If they try to tell me about something he does not want them to talk about he takes the phone away and does not allow me to finish talking to them, and I am not allowed to see them. He has my oldest daughter convinced that I am angry with her (which I am not, she has done nothing for me to be angry with her about) and has her believing that if she comes home she will be punished for something. He buys them expensive gifts like cell phones and laptops, which they are not allowed to use to communicate with me, to try and convince them that he loves them more than I do. The list does not stop.
I have contacted the General Attorney's Office in Tennessee, but they said they could not help me. Can someone please give me some advice that may help?
Joyce: If there is nothing in writing that states he has custody currently, then he probably doesn't. If he was paying child support, then he may be trying to keep the kids to avoid paying anymore. I would contact a Family Lawyer. They are the best when children are concerned. It sounds like parental alienation. My heart goes out to you. I have a grown daughter. My ex wanted custody of her, but she wanted to stay with me. She was an 18 year old full time college student at the time (his Lawyer told me because of her age she could live where she wanted, but since she was a full time student.......). Someday, the girls will see him for the type of man he is. I am sure they are missing their friends and life they had.