Can I stop my ex from taking our son for 20-hour car trips?

Question:

My ex-husband lives in Alabama. Every year we have a big blowout over visitation. He wants to drive from Alabama to West Texas, pick up our son, turn around and drive back, with no stops for sleep. (It's about a 20-hour trip each way.) My son just called me and said that his dad got really tired on the drive, so they pulled over to sleep for a few hours. For now, all is well and my son's safe, but is there anything I can do about this? I'm losing sleep myself.

Answer:

There are certain types of behavior a court will attempt to control while a child is visiting with the other parent. These include things like the parent's drinking to excess, poking needles with strange substances into his arm, and giving the child an early demonstration of the birds and the bees with his new girlfriend.

Unfortunately, most judges are not going to get involved in making orders that control things such as the hours of sleep your ex must get while transporting your child. They figure that if he was found fit for custody in the first place, the rest is up to his discretion.

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