Travel Expense Contempt

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

My ex wife and I have been divorced 4 years. She has primary physical custody. We are in a long distance parenting situation. (I am military). Our divorce decree states parents will split travel costs 50/50. I spoke with her about plane tickets for the kids summer visit. I said I would buy the tickets to get them to me, and she could buy the return. She said ok and that she would figure it out with her husband. A couple weeks later I bought the tickets and let her know, reminding her she needs to buy their return tickets. Now she is telling me she can't afford it, and that she recently took a loan out to have a bday party for our 7 yo. (Nothing extravagant, she had it at chuck e cheese)

I don't expect her to end up buying the tickets. She told my mother that I told her if she didn't buy tickets I wasn't taking the kids for the summer which is definitely not true. I'll probably end up just buying the tickets. Because if i don't i worry she wouldn't send them. She has claimed to not be able to afford travel (among other things) over and over. Is there any chance to file for contempt for her not paying and be reimbursed?

She initially created the distance and we have both moved since the divorce

Buy the tickets to get them to you. Let her figure out how to get them home.

You can try. If in fact she has no money, even the specter of a judge angrily ordering her to pay isn't going to put any money in her pocket with which to pay you. You know her situation better than anybody here.

When deciding whether or not it's worth litigating something like this, you need to weigh the amount of money involved against the time involved in attempting to recover the money (if she won't voluntarily pay) and the odds of actually recouping the funds.

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Quoting Mr. Knowitall

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You can try. If in fact she has no money, even the specter of a judge angrily ordering her to pay isn't going to put any money in her pocket with which to pay you. You know her situation better than anybody here.

When deciding whether or not it's worth litigating something like this, you need to weigh the amount of money involved against the time involved in attempting to recover the money (if she won't voluntarily pay) and the odds of actually recouping the funds.

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I agree with this totally. If she doesn't have it, she doesn't have it and no judge's orders are going to put money in her pocket.

Sorry tried to edit from my phone and it went a little haywire.

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Quoting llworking

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I agree with this totally. If she doesn't have it, she doesn't have it and no judge's orders are going to put money in her pocket.

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I thank you both for your replies. She obviously isn't surrounded by cash, but it isn't because she isn't capable. She makes poor spending choices, which I'm fully aware I cannot control. That and I don't live with her so have no clue the actual details of her finances. I do pay what I feel is a considerable amount of support (I'm sure this is the opinion of most payers). I pay based on both kiddos being in child care full time and her making minimum wage, neither being the case any longer. I don't want a support mod because I don't mind supporting the children and making sure they have everything, just makes paying all the travel difficult in addition to the added costs I have of child care in the summer. I just don't think she's ever tried to afford travel because she knows when push comes to shove I'll pay because seeing the kids is most important to me. Even if I have to run up cc to do it. I'm not surrounded by cash either.

She won't agree to any offers I've made to accept full responsibility of travel. For instance me paying half support when I have them more than a month, or getting to claim either of them on my taxes. (She claims both every year).

Would a judge consider either of these options?

I understand litigation is not ideal or timely or cost effective, but when it comes to money she is not willing to agree most times not even dicuss any options with me. If I were to seek a mod based on the calculator from the court it would drop almost $350 a month. Which would allow me to budget for travel, but cause her to lose her mind. I'm just asking she help with what she's court ordered to help. I would try and force her hand myself by just refusing to pay the tickets, but then she would not send the kids. She's just become complacent knowing I won't wager my limited time with the kids.