When a co-parent refuses to return children after their Court-ordered parenting time or outright denies you your parenting time, perhaps your first reaction is to call the police. After all, your ex is in violation of a Court Order. It’s only natural to assume the police should be called.
However, an experienced family law attorney will tell you that police are reluctant to get involved in parenting time and custody disputes, which are civil disputes in nature, and police only handle criminal matters. As justified as your outrage may be over denied parenting time, you do not have a lot of options outside of addressing the issue with the Family Division of Circuit Court of the County in which your case was handled.
If your co-parent is in violation of a Custody Order, you need to contact an attorney to assist you with filing a Motion to enforce your Court Order and hold the violating parent accountable for their actions that stray from the mandates of your agreement. Parents who wrongfully withhold children will most likely be responsible for the costs and fees associated with bringing an enforcement action, so remember, it is always in your best interest to follow your Order until and unless it is modified by the Court.
