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Morning,
I'm in court this Thursday and I would like to suggest a way of formalizing holiday and alternative weekend arrangements. Since I first went to court 2 years ago my ex has taken the mick and booked holidays on my weekends and not offered any alternative weekends. Here are a few details and issues I've been facing:
#She gives notice of holidays on a scrap piece of paper. I get no way to dispute or amicably arrange alternate weekends.
#In the two year period she has taken away approx 20 of my weekends with her holidays..
#I have my daughter every two weeks so when she does this I don't see her for 4 weeks and I get no contact in between.
I thought about trying to get an agreement made in court to suggest using email to formally arrange holidays and alternative weekends. Currently she calls all the shots and I need control as I find it hard to plan anything in advance due to not knowing if I will have my daughter.
Has anyone else heard of this before or had to formalize arrangements in a similar way or could you suggest other ways that work well. I need to stress this needs to be almost bullet proof as she will abuse and loophole or way around the arrangemetnts to take contact from me!
Thanks all
Holiday arrangements, christmas and birthdays can all be defined within the contact order. In fact the more definition you request the better, as it prevents having to go back and forth to court. Be specific about days and times of pick up and drop off, and you can even ask that your daughters passport is made available to you a month before the summer holidays when you intend to take her abroad for a holiday. Shared Christmas and birthdays is also the norm, one year she is with you the next the mother. Father's Day could be another day you could specify!
Also if you tell the court that she continually arranges holidays etc during your daughters and your contact time without any offer of alternate time to replace it, you could then ask that in future if your daughters and your contact time is encroached upon
that the time has to be made up
It might be a good idea to write this all down in the form of a statement for the court, numbered and in bullet point form.
Best of luck for Thursday.
I would also add that it could be written in to the order that communication should be via email. You should request this.
Regards,
Dave
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