Can ex just chnage contact schedule whenever he wants?

[Pleaseaddcaffine]

Not court ordered just for completness. He has our son whose 4 every Friday overnight from school to around 10.30 sat morning and handover at his hobby which I pay for.
He also has him one full weekend-so one extra evening - once or twice a month.
Ex dosnt work but does ad hoc self employed jobs.
He's now announced he can't have our joint child for June and July as he's busy as got work. He also was supossed to have him half of Feb half term but I had to collect him as he ran out of money for fuel to get child to childcare (I pay for this).
I work full time in a senior ish role and plan around childcare. I need him to be consistent.
Can he just do this? It isn't fair on me or his child.

Sorry for all the typos!

It isn't about what's fair on you, so separate that bit straight away. This is just about the child. Not what's fair on you. Of course he can change arrangements if he needs to. What if you needed to change arrangements and he said no? The only way you can change that is to get court ordered access with specific arrangements attached, and you don't have that.

Unfortunately yes he can, its his choice to be a useless father
Even if you had a court order he can't be forced to stick to his access times, if he can't be arsed there's nothing that can be done.

I stick to acess arrangements as its the right thing for my son. Always. But you surely can't not see him for 2 months and that be the right thing to do for him that's riddiculous!
I work and pay for evrything for our joint child. I can make arenagmebts for the day he normally has him eg paid chidlcare but it would need to be year round and then I'd been seen as restricting his acess which I'm not.

It seems that your ex is not as reliably employed as you but that he is trying. Perhaps his best will never be acceptable until his business has grown. He has given you good notice about June and July so that is one thing. Maybe the business will prosper and become more sustainable.

It won't honestly it won't. He had regular employment and I was very supportive but he quit. This is the third time in 12 mths he's changed days he will have acess and I always try to accommodate it but its getting very very frustrating.
Our joint child's only 4 and finds it very confusing to be picked up n dropped.

I'm guessing you were not married - smart move given you are the main earner. Unfortunately, he can try and do what he likes, so it may be easiest for you to live your life without factoring him in for his share of childcare, other than the Friday agreement which seems to be a regular thing he can manage. Work and look after a DC is obviously too much for him 🙄

That's the issue he now need to drop that for two months and I can't find interim childcare as it's short period only and I finish work at 5 on Fridays.
My sons in wrap around care every morning and 3 afternoons already.
Im going to ask my childninder if she can do it as a favour but I won't blame her at all if she cant as it not regular

It's not morraly right, and yes it will affect their relationship long term, but thats on him.
I wouldn't be trying too hard to force him to have your DC, it's doubtful he'd ever have the funds or the inclination to see out a court order to force you for access.
You can resist him coming and going in your DC's life by not having him in it - it's at least a threat to dangle if he can't even do a Friday over the hols. See you in a couple of months just isn't good enough. Basically, he may well chose to leave it all to you as he's clearly flaky. Sad but at least you know where you stand and it's better than him being in and out of your DC's life. You might as well not have to deal with him at all.

Plan to arrange the Friday care long term from the summer onwards. It's quite possible that if he's OK with dropping out for 2 months, he will not ever get back into doing it, and really, your DC will be better off without him floating in and out of their life. He's proved to be an unreliable father.

Thanks I'm trying to get past being frustrated but I work and I study and I have little one 6 days out of 7 at the min. But this isn't about me sadly, just sad they can pick up n drop whenever they choose. He will wnat to be involved still but it will solely be on his terms, he's never dropped contact completly.
I think I need to arrnage childcare that's paid for all the hours I need Inc school holidays and then his contact schedule will work around that. If he chops n changes then it won't negatively impact my work.
What do I explain to our child? Just that he's busy but still loves him? It's very difficult.

Is he working away? What work does he have planned that means he can't do anything?
Friday nights or nothing is the only bargaining chip you have - he will possibly lead a life then of whinging to anyone who will listen that he wasn't allowed access, while doing nothing about it.

It's events stuff connected to his hobbies.. So away Friday to Monday and then catching up on admin in week or sales and ad hoc acting as a roadie type thing for mates gigs.
He pays 75 a month maintenance and that won't change. I don't need the money so it's a non issue really as is what it is, I just need time as does our child.

Oh and a week trip round Europe on his own as he needs a holiday. But that's before the June n July bit.

Arrange all the care you need without him factored in at all. Then you get to chose when he can have him. Play a bit of hardball, say no to odd suggestions he makes. Once you have childcare in place you have more power than he does.

Yeah, sad though as I know he loves our child and they love him.
I have always facilitated as much contact as he wanted to encourage the relationship. We always said one or two small changes eg can I have him sat not Friday one week as its a family wedding etc we're fine and we'd work together.
Bit sad really.
Thanks everyone

Of course he can, he could just decide to not have him at all anymore if he wanted to (like my ex done with our kids 😐)

Wrong really :(