I am sharing a house with my ex and have been for over a year. Our DS is 2. We're both on the birth certificate. The idea was that he would do most of the childcare as he couldn't be arsed to get a job. He 'couldn't manage' to look after DS while I did my old, damanding job (I basically needed a wife). So I ditched my business and am now retaining in something that will fit around DS much better. The ex was supposed to be looking after DS while I studied - but I came home unexpectedly one day to find him neglecting DS seriously (he'd just left him alone for at least 1/2 hour, probably considerably more). He's a pointless, chain smoking, self-centred alcoholic basically. DS is now very happily settled in nursery and I don't let the ex look after him at home at all, although I have let him take DS out to organised children's activities.
I'm about to move 200 miles away with DS. The ex decided not to maintain contact with his children with his ex wife when she made the same decision 20 years ago and I'm rather hoping he does the same with DS. I'd be OK about his taking DS out to properly organised activities though.
I have no idea about how the system works. If he wants to remain in contact with DS, what rights does he have? How does it work? I'd do anything to stop him having unsupervised or overnight access to DS (when he's drunk).