North Carolina Custody Battle: Seeking More Time with Stepson
My husband has a nine-year-old son from a previous marriage, and we have been attempting to spend more time with him. When we met, he was allowed to see his son on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school until about 8 pm, which amounted to 32 hours per month. However, we now have him from 8 pm on Friday overnight until 8 pm on Saturday, which amounts to 48 hours per month.
Since there was no official custody agreement or child support arrangement, my husband worked with what he had when they first split. However, now that we are in a better financial position, we have been trying to spend more time with his son. Unfortunately, his ex-wife always has a reason not to allow it.
We pay for everything our stepson needs when he is with us, including school supplies, drop and play fees, and other necessities. We have asked to have more time with him instead of paying for after-school care, but his ex-wife refused.
She holds a lot of my husband's past against him, and he is afraid to fight her for more time in court because she works in the medical field, has attorneys on retainer, and looks better on paper. My husband has old weed charges that are almost a decade old, but that is his only legal issue. She owns their home, and we rent. We have our own small business bartending private events, so she covers our stepson's insurance, but we pay anything that is not covered.
We are wondering what our options are. Is it worth taking her to court for more time? Is there a certain