Visitation from afar
Biomom is moving the kids out of state (over a thousand miles away) at the end of the school year. My DH has tried to come up with a compromise with her in regards to visitation, travel expenses and support. My DH has asked that biomom pay for airfare since she is the moving party and we would like child support prorated during the times they are living with us because it could be months at a time. We are only talking about cutting it in half during those time since we will be responsible for their food, utilities, child care, etc. She seems to think we are being unfair, she wants my DH to pay for airfare or split the cost with her and she still thinks she is entitled to FULL child support while they are living under our roof. Are we being unreasonable?? We also brought up visitation and she wants us to get the kids one weekend a month! Is she nuts!? We were thinking extended visits like summer, spring break, Thanksgiving, etc. Is anyone else in this situation where they see step kids on extended visitations? I was just wondering what we could expect the court to grant and how often we would see them. Thanks!
Moving parent pays
I've always heard that the moving parent pays. On the other hand, our judge said that the visiting parent has to pay for transportation costs associated with visitation. Either we got a bad judge (probably) or it's just that way in our state (maybe). I would check and see if your state has any laws regarding this. My opinion is that the moving parent should have to pay the airfare. As for CS being reduced, they will probably just look at the total number of days each parent will have the child and base the support amount on that. If you will be getting the child a much less amount of time for visitation, then you could conceivably pay more. If you are getting them for a significant amount more than you are now, then you may end up paying less. But a judge will look at total number of days spent with each parent for the year. Extended visits, like school holidays, will probably work out better for everyone and I can't see a judge ordering monthly visits with him paying airfare. That's insane.
~ Anne ~
Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice: Pull down your pants and slide on the ice! -M*A*S*H (Sidney Freedman to the OR staff on dealing with stress)
There will be problems
You could probably agree on things now, but those plane costs will be expensive and don't expect too many visits. If she is the custodial parent you will still need to pay her full child support, and why not pay alternate airfare visits. She pays for one and then you pay the next and so on. That seems fair to me.
I'm sure its different on a case by case basis
... but we did this a couple of years ago. It was very frustrating. But, in the end, we end up splitting travel expenses 50/50. We do get get the Skid all summer, half of Christmas break, half of Thanksgiving break, and every spring break. We were entitled to shorter weekend visits during some months, but with the really expensive airfares, it seemed unreasonable to pay $400.00 for 3 or 4 days. I feel like if we did everything we could do.. we would be broke - but the poor kid would be on a plane every second. With minors, you also have to pay for a stewardess to be respnsible for her and take her back and forth to the gates, etc. That is $75.00 on each side, not included in the ticket price. I don't think a Judge will grant one weekend a month visits, and with her travelling so far, I am sure you will be entitled to an extended visit each summer. Good luck!!