What rights does each parent have to their child(ren) If they were never married and no courts have been involved? Recently the father and mother split because she was seeing someone else. Now she is refusing his right to see the child. He has always paid child support without a court order and niether have been to court for custody as of yet. Can she legally keep the child from the father just because they broke up? She has also changed her number and threatened to move away can she do this with out consulting the father first? He is going ahead with court but in the meantime what can he do to ensure she doesn't flee with the child?

File for custody/visitation. Once he files the court he filed in has jurisdiction and her leaving just means she will be coming back.

He may want to mention her intentions of leaving.