Reimbursement for Grandma’s Visitation Driving Expenses
So, one of your family members has been doing most of the driving for visitation exchanges, and now she wants to know if she can be reimbursed by your ex for all that travel. Hi, I’m Tulsa Dads.Law attorney Clint Hastings. I practice here in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and I focus on fathers’ rights. I’ve been practicing for about 25 years now.
Seeking Reimbursement for Driving Expenses
This is a tricky issue because what usually happens is a family member—let’s say Grandma, for example—has done the driving for a while and realizes, “Hey, this is adding up. I’d like to be reimbursed.” But up to that point, she’s been doing it as a gift, and now the question becomes whether you can retroactively transform that into a reimbursable service.
Now, if both parties agree, you could get an order in place for some kind of reimbursement. Your ex might say, “Sure, that’s fair.” In that case, you can formalize it.
Getting the Court Involved
However, if you need to get the judge involved, the court is going to ask:
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- Is the driving a recurring obligation?
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- Is it consistent in terms of distance, frequency, and cost?
Calculating Reimbursement
You’d need to provide documentation showing the mileage, dates, and who did the driving, and then show that you’re reimbursing your family member for those expenses. Based on that, you could then seek partial reimbursement from your ex.
This approach builds off the legal principle that transportation costs can be split between the parties according to their proportionate share of combined income.
Consideration for Low-Cost Consultation
If you need help walking through these calculations or want to know if this is worth pursuing, give Tulsa visitation rights attorney Clint Hastings a call at 918-962-0900. We’d be glad to help.
