Lapse in temporary custody order... what should I do?

Long story short, I share a five-year-old daughter with an ex of over eight years. We have been broken up for two years now. She denied me regular visits with our child for a year, so I took her to court, and it has been rough ever since. We had court-ordered visitation, child support, and co-parenting classes in which the counselor said it was not working because my co-parent continued to not follow the agreed-upon instructions. She has denied my visitation on four occasions, attempted to force entry into my home, chased my car, and verbally abused me in front of officers. I have to get escorts due to her behavior, and I have police reports documenting these incidents. I contacted the court-ordered mediation center, and after she refused to respond to emails for weeks, she eventually responded but refused the proposed date. We eventually agreed on a date, but she and her attorney refused to respond to the mediation center’s emails, which led to them providing me with a letter proving the lack of response. I believe this was done purposely so that the temporary order would lapse, as we were court-ordered to mediate before a final trial date could occur. I no longer have an active attorney and am still paying off credit card bills for the previous one. I cannot afford an attorney at this time, and I don’t want to lose time with my child. Any advice? I have tried to represent myself in court while holding her in contempt, but due to legal jargon and technicalities, I was not successful.

You really need a lawyer. Talk to one about your finances and see if you can work out a payment plan. You might consider borrowing from family or finding a free or reduced-cost legal clinic.

You could sue her civilly for a large amount to scare her into complying.

Check if there’s a law school or department at a nearby college. Law schools often have legal aid clinics. Bring all your documents and evidence and see if they can represent you or guide you through the process.

Your best option now is to file a motion for contempt. You can also ask the judge to extend the previous order. You don’t necessarily need a hearing; you want her to comply with what she is supposed to do immediately.

@Haven
Thank you! I didn’t think that was possible since the case shows as dismissed.