Divorce Advice for Men | Fathers Rights Divorce | Child Custody

Question:

I had to relocate out of state following my divorce because of work. The judge in the child custody case would not allow me to modify the visitation schedule because the children were young and he thought I abandoned them.

The airfare costs to travel and see them every month are really hurting me. Now that the kids are older I feel like I should be able to modify the parenting time schedule so they can see me more often and travel to my home. I would like to have a 50-50 schedule where I see them 6 months a year.

Are there standard visitation guidelines for out-of-state parents?

By William E. Brooks

Author, "My Life In Exile"

Recently, in what should have been a joyous occasion, I became a grandfather. However, I have yet to see my new grandson. 

And what is worse, my son, the father, has only seen his son a handful of times because he is not married to the child’s mother, which effectively gives him zero rights to his child at the moment.

I was aware of the difficulties divorced dads face in trying to maintain a meaningful relationship with their children because I’ve lived through that experience. But now my eyes are opened to a whole new area of need: that of unwed fathers.

Leslie Lorenzano

Cordell & Cordell Divorce Lawyer

When you have a limited amount of parenting time to spend with your children, you want to make every moment count.  Maximizing your parenting time with your children may take planning and creative thought, which can be daunting at times, but there are many options for fun activities to do and places to go with your children.

Each child is different, so he or she may only be interested in a few of the following ideas depending on his or her age, interests, skills, etc., but at least talking to your children about possible activities will show them that you are interested in having a memorable and active time with them when you are together.

By Julie Garrison

Special to DadsDivorce.com

My previous article "Is Your Ex-Wife Ignoring Your Children During Parenting Time?" addressed a common situation when a divorced dad feels his ex-wife is not properly caring for the children during her parenting time.

Frequently cited examples include mom increasingly leaving the child for longer periods at daycare or with babysitters to spend more time with her new boyfriend, and that mom has begun going out later, drinking more than normal, and sometimes picking up the children from daycare after happy hour.

Here are 6 actions a father can try to remedy the situation and help his children when he believes his ex-wife is being neglectful to their children during her parenting time.

By Julie Garrison

Special to DadsDivorce.com

What happens when a divorced dad has been noticing that his ex-wife's parenting time has been increasingly interrupted with activities that she seems to place above her children?

There are many stories on the DadsDivorce.com divorce forum where fathers tell of their ex-wives being on the phone all day texting their new boyfriend "Mr. Wonderful" or plopping the kids in front of the TV for five hours while she’s out with friends.

Here are some real-life examples of when parents do not use their parenting time effectively: