Custodial Mom Won't Sign Off on Passport for Family Vacation

My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Indiana

I have joint physical & legal custody of my 10 year old son but his mom was awarded the be the custodial parent. We have been planning a family vacation for months. My ex tried her best to talk my son out of going but he said he wants to go. Our family vacation is in Cancun. My ex is now refusing to sign off on his passport, therefore not allowing him to go. Is there anyway around this? I have been coaching her for months, telling her that if she can't meet us @ the Post Office to sign for his passport then she can have a form notarized & printed and gave the form to her. BTW, the Post Office is literally across the street from her house. Is there anyway I can force her to sign or circumvent her altogether?

Thank you in advance for your assistance:)

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Quoting dwentw01

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My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Indiana

I have joint physical & legal custody of my 10 year old son but his mom was awarded the be the custodial parent. We have been planning a family vacation for months. My ex tried her best to talk my son out of going but he said he wants to go. Our family vacation is in Cancun. My ex is now refusing to sign off on his passport, therefore not allowing him to go. Is there anyway around this? I have been coaching her for months, telling her that if she can't meet us @ the Post Office to sign for his passport then she can have a form notarized & printed and gave the form to her. BTW, the Post Office is literally across the street from her house. Is there anyway I can force her to sign or circumvent her altogether?

Thank you in advance for your assistance:)

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Is she being a PITA just to spoil your family vacation or is she truly afraid to have the child go to Mexico? Some of the violence there has begun to spill over into tourist areas.

If she is just being a PITA then really your only choice would be to take it to court and ask the judge to order her to sign the passport application. If she is resistant to him going to Mexico, you may find ways to reassure her that it will be safe for him.

Sorry for the delayed response, I thought I would get an email if anyone answered my post:) I'm not sure was a PITA is but the way you have used it seems to fit her actions, lol. Yes, she is just bitter because I'm taking him and she is not. She told my son that she would have no way to get to him if he gets stranded by himself. Going on the vacation is myself, hopefully my son, my girlfriend & my mother. Yes, she has mentioned Mexico being dangerous as an excuse but has now settled on the fact she doesn't want him out of the country. I even offered to change the vacation to the Bahamas or other destination. We booked thru vacationexpress.com and they only service Caribbean destinations that require a passport unfortunately. She has done her best to try to talk him out of wanting to go, but he says he still wants to go. We have already put deposits on the vacation based on the fact I told her about this 2 month ago when I asked for his birth certificate to apply for his passport.

Personally, as many trips as we have taken to Mexico, we never take our children. Cancun has been somewhat safe, only in the city, due to large police presence. Outside Cancun, excursions require armed guards. Just the other day, there was a 5 murder/ 1 beheading, in Cancun. We stopped going to Mexico 2 years ago and do not plan on returning. You are foolish to take your child there and risk their life.