I have three children (11 and two at 6) with my ex partner, who is addicted to drugs and has never worked. My ex in the last three and a half years has never paid a penny towards his children. Since i have been with my new partner (husband) we have had another child (aged 2).
For the first year of separation i carried out all the travel so that the three children could see their dad on a weekly basis. but i didn't know what was happening in the house until after the incident because my eldest was always a daddys girl and he told her to lie to me
After that first year my ex assaulted me in front of the children when i picked them up. He was not allowed to be near us on bail conditions and the children were frightened to go to school etc my husband and i then decided to move away from the area (only 40 miles away, this was also as it was closer to my husband?s work.
Since that time i have spent every six weeks or so in court, during which the two six year olds have maintained contact with the ex but not the eldest, they have ruled she doesn;t have to. The ex agreed to pick the two children up using public transport and i would then collect them, carting my other two with me.
He has a new partner who is now pretty much doing everything for the children when they are there, he doesn?t even get up in the morning with them or anything and is constantly on the computer. He sees them once a fortnight for one night at his house.
Recently the court out of the blue made an order which states that because my husband works we have to pay my ex the children?s travel costs. The magistrates court came to this conclusion without looking at our current financial circumstances. just the fact that my ex does not work and my solicitor said this could be misconduct of their powers to make a decision like that when he hasn?t asked for it and without a proper trial giving any evidence etc. they wouldn?t even let me speak but he had his say. He has also been given half the holidays.
My husband does not earn a great deal, we have a mortgage and need to run a car for his work etc which means that we feed the whole family (six of us) on about £300 a month, money is tight.
It annoys me as my ex and his new partner claim income support, disability, careers allowance etc, which means they don't pay council tax or rent, which means they are on a much larger expendable income than us.
we have now been informed that it will cost thousands to appeal against this court order, but of course the ex gets all that free too.
i am thinking of breaching the court order by not paying the travel expenses, firstly out of principle, secondly we can't really afford it and thirdly the ex is entitled to free bus travel however he opts to catch a train and use taxis to travel, he also has to make every journey with his new partner which obviously costs him. this is why he told the court that he was skint, not the fact he spends £70 a week on drugs. Lol
I know this is long winded but I wonder if anyone is in a similar situation and whether anyone else would pay this ridiculous order or should I stick to my guns and just keep refusing it aand be in contempt of court?
I am totally confused as to why? this is like fathers rights gone mad after everything he's done to me and the children and how he still lives his life.