My court hearing was today, to determine whether or not I could move with my son to Canada. First off, the judge didn't have to settle anything. My ex decided at the last minute that he wanted to negotiate. So for about an hour and a half the lawyers went back and forth and it was alot of "yes we agree, no we don't, yes we do but...etc". In a nutshell here is the final ruling :

• We get to move anywhere we want within the province of Ontario, Canada
• He has to pay back $1000 of my attorney fees
• He has to give me 15% of his pension when he retires (he wanted to give me nothing)
• I have to provide him with Andrew's name
• We are each responsible for providing a one way ticket for my son's visitation.
• In the event that I disobey the court order and Canada will not enforce it, I agreed to have child support suspended. (I'll probably get kicked out of Canada as well, so we'll just not go down that road)
• He has to sign the papers allowing my son to get a passport.

So now begins the process of moving. Can it be done in 2 weeks? Is it possible to sell a car quickly and for a lower price than it's worth in said 2 weeks? Should we fly or drive? What should I do about my animals?

I'm in a not so small amount of overwhelmness. I think I'm going to take the kids out to dinner tonight to celebrate, even though I can't really afford it. And then I'm going to just sit back and try to let it all seep in. The only piece of news we're waiting on now is whether or not I'm pregnant. 2ww sure is easier when I don't have a court decision looming over my head.

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Well, I'm really happy for you! In short, I don't think you can move in 2 weeks. The backup for passports is several months, I think, so if you don't have a passport for your son yet, it could be a while. You used to be able to just cross with a birth certificate, but I don't think they allow that anymore. Also, you may need written permission/proof of permission when you enter Canada with your son - it is a new rule when both parents aren't traveling with the child. The rule is a real pain in the neck!

If you aren't bringing your animals, you can place an ad for someone to adopt them. Your car should sell, but I wouldn't do that until you are closer to when you want to move, unless you are sure that you have transportation while you are waiting.

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I'm so happy you are able to move. I agree, it will probably take awhile to be able to move. Do you know where you will live?

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I'm always missing my angels in heaven

Because of the backlog for passports, you don't need them to fly over the border right now. Just the paper stating you applied for one. You still don't need one to drive over the border, birth certificate and photo ID works for arrivals by land and sea until January 08. What we'll probably do is fly to Buffalo or Rochester and have my fiance pick us up there. I'll have written permission in the form of a court order.

We're looking to settle in Markham, just outside of Toronto, as both our jobs are there. Cornell specifically, I don't know if Cornell is the name of the town, or if it's just a part of Markham.

Since I'm not working, I think if I push hard enough, I can get it done. I honestly don't have a choice. My apartments are being renovated into condos and I have to be out of here by August 5th. So 2 weeks is all I have.

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im glad things are working out for you! what a relief!

i hope you get even better news over the next week

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Michelle (25) and Brad (28)

CO-HOST OF TTC 2+ YEARS
HOST OF Alternative/Herbal/Non-Traditional