My children (6yrs and 12 yrs) do not get along with their dad. The kids have been refusing to go with valid reasons. We had a CFI done and she reported that there are concerns with my ex drinking alcohol even while driving with the children. The police have been called by a bystander when my ex and my daughter were fighting during visitation (which my ex kept making my daughter feel
Bad by telling everyone it was her fault the police were called), my ex does not visit when he is supposed to. The list goes on. The CFI made suggestions for a modified parenting plan that was submitted to the court, which included decreasing summer visitation from 5.5 weeks to 2 weeks until my daughter and ex go through counseling and my daughter feels emotionally safe to extend time. We had a court date to modify the parenting plan but my ex said he couldn't make it because he would be out of country for work. Side note my ex lives in another state as well. Then we got another court date and now he is saying he is having his visitation during that time in the state where he lives and that it should not interrupt his time to fly back. He said he was going to ask for another continuation. My problem is that until the modifications are in place for my children's emotional and physical wellbeing (CFI recommended to drinking during visitation) I don't feel safe putting them on the airplane for visitation. The court date is set for two days after My ex made reservations for them to fly and there is no return flight listed. He plays a lot of control games (he hasn't returned my son at the agreed day, he makes flight reservations at unreasonable hours with barely any notification so I. can't fight it, he Pops in town demanding his time with little notice and threatens me he will file contempt if the kids don't go) All these things plus other issues addressed in the CFI to come up with a more solid parenting plan. I don't want to put my kids on the plan without making modified parenting plan that I believe he keeps dodging court dates. Plus he didn't tell me when the kids will return. He has not seen the Kids in 4 months. We are to have not contact because there is a restraining order against him for an assault and batttery against me. If I don't send them he will file contempt. I feel I have a valid point because there are concerns for my children's safety, he does not practice his regular parenting time, there is no return date, and he just told me a week before the kids are to fly out. My attorney says don't send them until after court date, but my ex is saying he is asked by for a continuation. Suggestions/opinions? Thank you so much. Feeling very stressed. The kids have tickets to fly out next week and I don't know what to do.