It’s one of the hardest calls we get:
“My ex won’t let me see my kids. What can I do?”
If this is happening to you, first—know this:
You are not powerless. You have legal rights. And there are steps you can take to protect your relationship with your child.
Here’s what to do if your ex (or the child’s other parent) is keeping you from seeing your children.
Are You Legally Recognized as the Father?
This is the first question we ask—because it affects what happens next.
If You Were Married to the Child’s Mother:
You are presumed to be the legal father.
You already have legal rights to custody and visitation (even if the mother disagrees).
If You Were Not Married (and didn’t legitimate):
Being the biological father alone does not give you legal rights in Georgia.
You must go through a legal process called legitimation to establish those rights.
If you’ve never done this, it’s the first—and most important—step.
What If You Already Have a Court Order for Visitation?
If you have a court order that spells out your custody or visitation rights, the other parent is legally required to follow it.
If they don’t? You can take action.
Here’s how:
Document Everything
- Missed visitation times
- Refused exchanges
- Denied phone or video calls
- Texts or emails showing they blocked contact
File a Contempt Action
If the other parent is violating a court order, we can help you file for contempt of court.
A judge can:
- Enforce the original order
- Award make-up time with the child
- Fine the other parent
- In extreme cases, change custody or even jail a repeat offender
What If You Don’t Have a Court Order Yet?
If you’ve been co-parenting informally—but now she won’t let you see the kids—you need to act quickly.
Without a court order:
- She is not legally obligated to allow parenting time
- You have no legal fallback if she refuses
To change that, we can help you:
- File a legitimation case (if needed)
- Ask the court to establish custody and visitation
- Protect your parenting rights moving forward
📌 The sooner you file, the better your chances of establishing regular parenting time.
Common Misconceptions
🛑 “She says I can’t see them because I missed child support.”
Wrong. You can’t withhold visitation due to unpaid support (and vice versa).
🛑 “I’ll wait until she changes her mind.”
Waiting rarely works—and courts don’t like long periods of no contact.
🛑 “It’s too late. I’ve already missed too much time.”
It’s never too late to establish or enforce your rights. The court will consider your effort to be involved.
Your Child Deserves a Relationship With You
Parental alienation hurts everyone—especially your kids.
If your ex is keeping them from you, don’t wait and hope it will get better on its own. Take action.
At Catherine Ryan Law, we help fathers:
- Establish legal rights through legitimation
- Enforce existing visitation and custody orders
- Modify custody if needed
- Protect and strengthen their role in their child’s life
Click here to schedule your consultation with Catherine Ryan
You deserve to be in your child’s life. We’ll help you make sure the law supports you.