A Suffolk County judge ruled last week that a divorced mother who wants to move with her children to Florida must arrange video conferencing between her children and ex-husband.
In his decision, reported by the New York Law Journal, Suffolk County Supreme Court Judge Jerry Garguilo ruled that Debra Baker must provide Skype video conferencing at her own expense.
Her ex-husband James Baker opposed Debra Baker's move to Florida for fear of not seeing his 9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son again.
Baker pleaded with the court to “not take his children away, as he loves them dearly,” according the court documents.
However, Debra Baker had recently lost her job and was also facing the expiration of her unemployment benefits. Baker’s home is also in the latter stages of foreclosure, making her motivation for moving purely financial.
Debra is moving closer to her parents and extended family until she finds permanent employment.
The ruling grants the father of the children three one-hour Skype chats per week. The decision is the first of its kind and sets a precedent that could be enacted by other judges, according to the Law Journal.
