Father's Rights

[Jillian483]

Arizona. My husband has not seen his children in almost a year!!!! His ex-wife took him to court in late 2003 for full custody. WE went to court with proof that the children were being abused in the mothers home (i.e. pictures, child services reports, poluce reports, witnesses of the abuse.) The court did not care at all. (Along with physical abuse there is a lot of mental abuse... Step-Father took the youngest and wrote "PISS BOY" on his back when he wet the bed and made him walk around his friends like that) They awarded the mother SOLE CUSTODY. Where is the line drawn in court to where the mother is seen as unfit? I've done research on the judge that took our case and he has awarded custody to drug addict mothers because the father's are too busy working. My husband went to court and requested the child support to be lowered because he is disbled and going to school. The courts ordered him to get a job within 2 weeks or he would lose all visitation with his children. WHAT??? You deny him custody because he is working then when he quits you order him to get a job? What about the mother? How come my husband has to pay her $875.00 of his $1600 monthly income to her just because she wants to sit at home all day? My husband was awarded visitation with his children every other weekend and the mother tells him that she doesn't care if he wants to see the children and that he should "get off his lazy @** and be a man and pay child support" she even said " It is my job to be their mom, if I want to not work to do that then I can, your only purpose is to pay me money, you're not the kids father anymore James (step-father) is." Where are the people that care that a father gets to see his children? Where are the Father's rights activists? We cannot even afford to go to court to try to get custody because we cannot afford the ridiculous fees that the lawyers charge. Does anybody know of any good (inexpensive or pro-bono) lawyers in the Arizona area that would be able to help us out?

 

[Whyte Noise]

If he has a court order for visitation and she's denying him, then he should file for contempt of the court order on her. Plain and simple.

 

[Jillian483]

Contempt of court

I have thought about that but we would be filing over 25 contempts of court and that would cost us a lot of money. The children are being very traumatized by this situtaion and cry constantly on the phone to my husband saying that they miss him and want to come live with him. Something needs to be done for the kids.

 

[Whyte Noise]

And nothing CAN be done until he takes it to court.

25 contempt of court actions show a pattern. A BIG pattern.

When the pattern is big enough, it's used to reverse custody.

 

[mikeleslie87]

that judge is an *******

man that is screwed up.that judge should be disbarred. he obviously did not do what was in the kids best interests.id sure appeal that decison.hope everything worls out for you.

 

[MominNJ]

re

Wait a minute... You went to court with all that "proof" and the Judge awarded her sole custody?
What reason did the judge give for that? What does the judge have against dad?

 

[Lowkey]

There are lots of groups

There are plenty of groups that are advocates of "Father's Rights". I will preface this, though, with a note of caution. Make sure that you check out any organization thoroghly before you obtain membership, etc. from them. Some of these groups can be rather extreme and because of their slant, can actually offer bad advice. Just be cautious. I too am a father who is in a situation where I constantly ask myself why in the world these people...judge, attornies, and child advocate....can't seem to see through my ex's lies and deceptions. Hang in there. Time, believe it or not, is your ally. Give people like this a long enough rope, they tend to hang themselves. I'm not saying you won't be frustrated, angry, depressed and despondent about the situation...but you have to take it with a grain of salt and keep plugging away. No one has a good enough memory to be a really good liar.

JMO, of course.

Lowkey

 

[Jillian483]

reply to MOMINNJ

The judge felt that their since the mother was home all day to watch the children and my husband was working all day that the children would be better off with her. The mother denied all of the abuse and said that we were "doctoring" up the pictures to make the children looked bruised. The jusde was an idiot.

 

[Jillian483]

Wait a minute... You went to court with all that "proof" and the Judge awarded her sole custody?
What reason did the judge give for that? What does the judge have against dad?

When my husband and his ex got divorced he was in the military and she was not. When they made up a parenting plan they both agreed that since she not not have the requirement to move all of the time that it would be best for the children if they stayed with their mother if he was to GET DEPLOYED OR REASSIGNED. When the ex went to court to get custody she did it because she has remarried someone that is in the military and is getting reassigned. She said that they had agreed that 'in the event of a relocation the children would primarly reside with her" she denied that this agreement was agreed upon because of the fact that my husband was in the military at the time. We have also come to find out that her husband requested orders so that she could move so that she could get more child support. The judge has nothing on my husband. he works, he doesn't do drugs, he treats his children like gods.

 

[Jillian483]

There are plenty of groups that are advocates of "Father's Rights". I will preface this, though, with a note of caution. Make sure that you check out any organization thoroghly before you obtain membership, etc. from them. Some of these groups can be rather extreme and because of their slant, can actually offer bad advice. Just be cautious. I too am a father who is in a situation where I constantly ask myself why in the world these people...judge, attornies, and child advocate....can't seem to see through my ex's lies and deceptions. Hang in there. Time, believe it or not, is your ally. Give people like this a long enough rope, they tend to hang themselves. I'm not saying you won't be frustrated, angry, depressed and despondent about the situation...but you have to take it with a grain of salt and keep plugging away. No one has a good enough memory to be a really good liar.

JMO, of course.

Lowkey

Yeah that is what we are doing. we know that it would be pointless to try to fight for custody unless we have a long list of things that she is doing wrong to my husband and the children. If we just go to court with a small list then she can just say that she didn't realize that she was wrong and that she will change her ways (It has happened b4 and the stupid judge believed her) I have already consulted Jeffery Levic ( one of the top rated fathers rights defense attorneys in the US) but they wanted a retainer of 35,000 to cover the costs incurred for the trips From Illinois to Arizona. Thanks for your kind response.

 

[hemingway]

http://www.law.asu.edu/default.aspx?id=8275
look for Family Law Assistance Program
good luck!

 

[Jillian483]

http://www.law.asu.edu/default.aspx?id=8275
look for Family Law Assistance Program
good luck!

Thanks for that, I looked at it few days ago and they are figuring out if we make too much to qualify. They said that we might have to provide a fee but it is better than the 5 G's that one lawyer quoted us.