After a Pasadena divorce, it can be challenging to be a noncustodial parent. It's frustrating to have limited amounts of time to spend with your children, especially if your ex is refusing to comply with the court ordered visitation schedule.
The only way your ex can legally interfere with your visitation rights is in the case of child endangerment. For example, if you showed up intoxicated to pick up your children, your ex could refuse to allow you to see the kids on the grounds that allowing you to drive drunk poses a safety risk to the children.
The court won't interfere if your ex has asked you to switch visitation times once or twice because of a family emergency. But a pattern of missed visits is a problem. If your ex is refusing to allow you to see your children on a regular basis, keep a record of all times that you have tried to visit and been denied. Take the record to your lawyer. He or she can then file a motion with the court. The court may order counseling or mediation. The court could also decide to increase your scheduled visits or grant you primary custody, depending upon the circumstances of your case.
Under no circumstances should you stop paying child support as a way to enforce your visitation rights. The law views visitation and child support as two entirely separate issues. You will face legal penalties for not paying your child support, regardless of whether or not your ex is interfering with your scheduled visitation. On a similar note, your ex is not allowed to withhold visitation if you have fallen behind on your child support payments.
How Can We Help?
If you are a non-custodial parent who is being denied visitation, please call our office at (626) 683-8113 or email us at info@PasadenaLawOffice.com. Our team of skilled Pasadena family law attorneys can work with you to make sure that you are allowed to maintain a relationship with your child regardless of your marital status.