MAY I WITHHOLD VISITATION UNTIL MY EX
PAYS ME WHAT HE OWES ME?

Surprisingly, this comes up frequently, but normally it's the guys aking me, "Can she do that?" Listen real close, I'm only gonna say this one time. Visitation may NOT be withheld to coerce payment of support. Those two provisions of your order are not dependent on each other.

This has been covered twice in previous questions, but it especially merits emphasis in the area of child custody and support. Parents do not have a right to subvert the court's order with a different arrangement. The order is what it is. A judge might not only find you in contempt of court, but I have seen denial of visitation for money viewed as a change of condition warranting a temporary change of custody. This type of hard-headed behavior is terrible for the children. The order is not a guideline. It is a command. It is a judgment, enforceable according to its literal terms. Do not trifle with the courts here. If you want to encourage child support payment, do not do it by abusing the children in this way.

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