Hello,
I currently see my son once a week usually on a Saturday, I want to increase this to having him overnight on weekends but my ex partner refuses. They live in Cardiff and I now live in Oxford. Shes saying the only way he can stay overnight with me is to get an airbnb close to Cardiff for the night but this is 1, disruptive to my son as he'll be staying in a strange place 2, very expensive for myself. What are my rights for having him stay with me? I was very involved with my son's upbringing until the separation and have looked after him overnight before. He is very comfortable with spending time with me and I'm confident he'll have issues spending the night.
Thanks,
Hi there
If you can't agree to overnights then your first step would be to attempt mediation, however because of the distance between yout that might prove difficult.
You would also need to apply to the court nearest where your ex lives in Cardiff, but depending on the age of your son, and as long as there are no safeguarding issues, the court are very likely to make an order for weekend stays, Skype if you request it, alternate Christmas and birthdays and a share of school holidays.
There's plenty of info about the process in the stickys at the top of the legal eagle section, some solicitors offer a free initial consultation which you may find helpful.
Best of luck