My XW is in federal prison.

As for the collect call block, I am as my wife puts it a "what iffer". What if the kids are out and their phone dies and they have to call collect. What if something happens to friends/family out of state and they need to call collect. So I did not block the collect calls, which lead to the kids accepting the calls, which yes is exactly what my wife told me was going to happen.

The barn door is now closed. However the horses are so far out of the barn they are grazing in the neighbors field.
My wife is angry with me for not listening to her. Again. The kids are angry knowing they now can not talk to their mom again. The XW will be pissed two fold. First when she tries to call the next time and finds the collect call block in place and again when my attorney has her drug in front of the judge again for violating the RO.

I would, however she is incarcerated now for roughly three years. In January she goes to court to face identity fraud charges that will likely end with her serving more time. Add in the most recent violations of the court order of protection and she will likely be getting out of prison or jail just about in time to collect social security. She also has a civil suit pending from my wife's employer.

I can't get blood out of a rock. My wife has willingly supplemented finances for many legal issues knowing it was what is best for my children. I do not see the sense in throwing away money, be it hers or mine. A piece of paper saying XW is responsible to pay me back $x.00 is not going to pay for groceries, the mortgage, child expenses etc.

I also see where my kids are at fault. Two of the four of them are adults technically, they are 18 and 19 years old. All of the children know the RO is in effect. They were all told I would tell them the minute that they could talk to or see their mother, that until they heard from me that they could: it was forbidden. They chose to accept the calls, regardless if they realized the calls would cost money, they chose to accept the calls and break the RO themselves. This is a poor decision they made, with or without their mother's influence. They will get to pay for it. They all have already logged into their bank accounts this morning and transferred $100.00 each into my checking account to pay for their portion of talking to their mom.

It would not surprise me at all if this is the case. That the automated operator told them how much it would cost and they accepted anyway. My wife answered the first call and declined it and XW was told through attorney's when she was allowed to call to use a calling card. At that time I can remember my wife quoting an outrageous amount per minute for the phone calls, so I am presuming it was quoted.

I can see the kids also closing ranks, one stating they did not know and the others just backing that child up. I find it hard to believe it was always the same child answering the phone and that three of them truly did not know and one was lying. Most likely all were which is why all got to equally share the financial burden of their poor choice.

I can also see why the kids did it. She is their mom. No matter how crappy of a mother she is, she is it for them. They have all said they do not want to go up to the prison to see her but would talk to her on the phone and after more than a year of no contact, with the forbidden fruit dangling in front of them: Yes I can understand why. Does not make it right. Does not excuse their behavior. But I can understand it to a point.