Legal Question in Family Law in Louisiana
Visitation
i just recently went to court on may 18, 2004.the courts in lake charles,la and the judge states that I the ncp(father) must pay for plane tickets for the 3 minor kids and the cp must pay the escort fee for tickets.for the summer visits and every other xmas.now i live in VA,due to my job relocated me 5yrs ago.in between that time the mother and I would exchange the kids in GA which is the half way point for both. now the question is if i brought this up to my atty why wouldn't they or the judge would not allow the same type of arrangement that we currently had.now on the other hand the cp told her state atty that she did not want to meet half way anymore. i would have thougt the judge would have looked at and said why change now.but who am i just another father who cp is trying to interfer with me being a father to my kids.i just wnat to know could there have been something more i could have done to have the cost if traveling expenses equal.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Visitation
One of the hardest things to do here is deal with the question, "Why did the court do this?" This is especially true in family court where the most important factor is the "Best interest of the children." Ultimately the answer is "It's the best answer the judge could come up with."
To answer this well I have to know if the judge ordered this after a trial or if you and your ex agreed to this arrangement.
Did you mention to your attorney that you and the mother had a working exchange system already? Family Court judges try not to fix things that aren't broken. I know those two judges and practice in their Court regularly. Meeting half-way does not sound like anything that would bother them. It sounds like the judge tried to split the costs as well as possible presuming flight as the mode of travel. One of you pays for three round-trip tickets (one per child), the other pays for a supervising adult's two round trips (going and returning).
An advantage of flight is less time spent travelling and more time to visit.
Related Questions & Answers
Looking for something else?
10,200 active attorneys ready to answer your legal questions today.
Featured Attorneys
Earn additional revenue and grow your business.
