Spouse and Child Abandonment

[inhope]

What is the name of your state?Florida
What exactly are the laws (if any) in Florida on Spouse and Child Abandonment? I woke to find that my husband had packed his bags and left early this morning before me and our daughter woke up. This has been an on going thing. Threats of leaving me and our daughter (4 years old) I do not work so I have no income coming in. We had been separated 3 times before. We just reconciled last year after I finally dropped the injunction for protection I had against him for a year. One of the problems in the marriage is that he will not register with the state as a sex offender. ( He was arrested, charged and convicted of: sexual battery on a child back in 1993) I was told that I could get in trouble for knowing he's not registering as I would be "harboring." At times he says he doesnt have to register others he says he won't because it would tarnish his reputation. So when the subject comes up about this, he threatens to leave if I do report him. But this morning I awoke to find he has left. He left only a $1 bill on the counter for us. We didnt have a savings and the checking is in his name. Is there any law regarding this situation?

 

[BelizeBreeze]

Yes, you can get a job then report him.

 

[stealth2]

Wait. You married a guy convicted of sexual battery against a child, and then had a chidl with him?

 

[inhope]

I was not informed of this

We married Dec of 1999. I didnt find this out until 8 months into the marriage but he told me a different story concerning the issue. He said the child in question was "17 years of age"....It wasnt until 2002 of his domestic violence arrest that the victim advocate produced the papers stating what the arrest was actually for. The case was he was having an affair on his first wife with a 13 year old. He did know she was 13 and even tried to marry her, but her parents found out about this and filed the charges. I have a friend that works with the sheriffs dept. here and he tried to look up my husbands record on their database, but nothing came up concerning the Illinois arrest. But the victim advocate said that her assisstant had to pull these records from the FBI database. During the most recent separation (2002) I was given full custody of our daughter because the courts felt that our daughter was in a better place here with me, seeing how my husband has a couple of DV arrests and the felony arrest. I did work full time during the year we were separated (2002-2003) and took care of our daughter and my son full time. I am also being treated for depression and anxiety and since we have reconciled they both have increased. My concern is about the abandonment and not being left with to start over with. Im already $10,000 in debt to my previous divorce attorney. We do have two vehicles, one is completely paid for, but he never received the title from his friend (he was making payments on his friends car, the friend gave him this car) so he has threatened to have his friend come back and take that car also. My car had broken down last year and he said he had a friend who owned a shop that would fix it for cheap, but instead he had it taken to a junkyard. I am though, on the insurance to drive the other vehicle which is in his name.

 

[leafinator]

It sounds to me like the best thing you can do for yourself and the kids is to get a job, move somewhere else (so he can't claim it's his dwelling) and forget about him. When he comes back to you law down the law of the way things have to be for you to be happy in the relationship. If he agrees to it all, give it another shot. If he doesn't, send him on his way.

 

[PILULA]

I Am In Florida Too, You Need To Go And Try To Get Some Aid From The Department Of Children And Family Since You Are Not Working, You Should Be Approve, That Would Be Enough To Get On Your Feet, After That Apply For Child Care Assistance, And Then You Can Go And Get A Job, They Even Will Help You To Get A Job. That's A Start, And Then File For Divorce, He's Been Cheating For A Long Time It Seems Like, I Don't Think He Is Going To Change, I Tell You For My Own Experience, Once A Cheater Always A Cheater, Plus You Already Tried Once Before, He Knows You Too Well Now. Good Luck!!