The neighbor brought my kids home...

My settlement states HE must bring them home, so I had my lawyer send him a letter advising him of his contempt.  This is his 3rd letter in 3 1/2 months...not surprising though.  I will continue to track his disregard of our settlement...one can never be too careful I have learned.

I completely understand that he can do whatever he wants with the kids on his time...even if it's abandon them with the neighbor.  My problem with this is that the kids welfare being on the rode with a person of questionable mental stability (she is a manic depressive who feels God will heal her and refuses to take her medication...this has recently come out from her son who no longer lives with her).

Also, be SURE and know that he could care LESS about arguing in front of the children...that certainly was not his motive, this much I can assure you!  Regardless, I appreciate the responses...THANKS!

If your agreement doesn't specifically state that he and only he has to bring the kids home, he had the right to have someone else bring them, regardless of how you feel about it. He just has to have them home BY that time - and if he returns them early, again, nothing you can do about it.

Sole legal & physical doesn't mean you control everything - what he does on his parenting time is his business - he can make choices in what he feels is the best interest of his kids. if something comes up and he has to get the kids home, he had the right to make that choice...

was it smart? no, he should have informed you of his intentions and given you the option of coming to get them, but if your divorce was that bitter, he may have avoided you and the inevitable fight (possibly in front of the kids)

It isn't contempt though.

Sorry for any confusion!  Their dad has visitation with them on Tues and Thur and then has them for a single night every other weekend.  Yesterday was 'his day' so he had the kids (won't bore you with the exact times he has each of them) and has to return them home to me by 6:30pm.  This is what our settlement agreement says.  So, I did not allow him to take the children and then he bailed...it was his vistation day and then he bailed...this was what I was trying to get across.

As you mentioned, since I have sole legal/physical custody I DO feel it is MY decision as to who they go with and when....that being said, don't I have the legal right to complain when this happens if my ex did NOT obtain my permission for this type of activity?  Shouldn't he have had to get my permission to deviate from the settlement papers when it stipulated HE is to drop my children off (and pick them up)??

THANK YOU for your response!

i'm confused here...as sole legal/physical cusotdy parent..isn't it your decision who your child goes with...where and when?

so, you allowed him to take your child and then he bailed out and dropped them with the neighbors?

if it's not the first time, i think it's time to consider only visits while you/or family/or friends are there too.

it's annoying and unfair to have another child as an ex.....but your kids come first.