Apologies in advance for the long thread!
I separated from my ex H 7 years ago when I was 3 months pregnant with our 2nd child. Divorced about 18 months later. We have 2 girls aged 9 and 6.
Since then we have arranged maintenance and child contact been ourselves. I am now going to be going through CMS for maintenance and requesting him to get a court order for contact, here's why....
His attitude towards the girls has always been out of sight out of mind! Being able to be amicable to him has gone out of the window these past couple of weeks. I was furloughed last month and he was still working so we agreed the children would stay with me. He was furloughed 2 weeks ago so that in my mind changed things. Last week I asked him if he was having the girls next week as it had been 14 days since he was furloughed and his response was 'who said I would have them after 14 days?' He then started saying he would get fined for driving to pick them up which obviously I know he won't and I sent him screenshots from government websites stating its classed as essential travel. He then said he had spoke to his mum and she told him no he will be fined. I messaged his mum and attached the sane screenshots I sent ex h. I then get told his mum had messaged him and because I had as he put it 'spat my dummy out' now he HAD to have the kids (I don't believe he ever spoke to his mum about it and in response to the message I sent her she spoke to him asking why I had messaged her that). I then get slagged off by him for 'putting ideas into the kids head's that they would be seeing daddy soon!
He picked the kids up this morning with a face like a slapped arse. Half an hour later I receive a message off him saying 'just to clarify how long am i having these for? THESE!!!! that's how he refers to his 2 beautiful daughters! He couldn't even wait until he got back to his house to message me he messaged while driving!!!
I'm 99% sure the only reason he pays maintenance and has the kids for 1 night every 2 weeks usually is because his mum tells him he has to.
I suppose I just want someone to agree that he is a deadbeat dad and I'm doing the right thing making things legal after all these years of me 'forcing' him to see his children.