Quote Quoting YellowBird112
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-No parenting plan was established when child support was ordered and enforced by court. Unsure why this did not happen.
It would appear that it didn't happen because dad never ASKED for a visitation plan. Child support and visitation are two separate issues, and the courts don't go looking for things to do. Dad should have sought a parenting plan/visitation order way back then. Had he sought visitation, the court would have automatically addressed support, but it doesn't work the other way around. Child support is a right of the child, and the courts act in the child's interest to ensure support orders are in place. The onus to seek visitation is on the parent (since, sadly, so many parents are perfectly fine with NOT having visitation, and only pay support because the courts FORCE the obligation upon them). It sounds like he has never felt the need to seek a plan, since his visitation was liberal and relatively uneventful and it sounds like both sides have had smooth sailing - until now, when the advent of mom moving will either force him to seek a plan and either oppose the move, or negotiate a plan that addresses time and expenses, taking the new distances into account. Or he can leave things status quo (at mom's mercy), but may find himself in the position of having a long road ahead if he attempts to object AFTER the fact, without ever having had an original plan in place all along. This is exactly why we continually tell people that when it comes to visitation, court orders protect EVERYBODY - and frankly, dad would be a fool to NOT get his rights spelled out via the courts. Until the COURT gives mom boundaries, rules, or marching orders, she's really only obligated to her conscience.