What is the name of your state? WA
I have a seven year old perfect little girl. Her father was abusive to me and started to be abusive toward her before we got out. She was one when he left and he only came around 2 or 3 times to see her after he moved out. We were never married. He left the state within a few months of his departure. Since then he has been in and out of his local jail and spent a year in prison all on drug charges (meth). He is mean and scarey. Unfortunaley, I was too scared and I never called the cops on him for any of my "beatings" therefore there is nothing to document his abuse.
For the last six years I have lived with no legal custody of my daughter. He has none either. In Washington state, when no papers are filed legal custody is the parent who physically has the child. There are paternity papers stating that he is the legal Father. I am now married to the only man that my daughter knows as Daddy and he wants to adopt her.
I have feared filing any papers because I don't want him to have ANY visitations and chances are he would recieve some even if they were supervised he doesn't deserve them. She has a man in her life who loves her and is Dad. I know that with his drug past it would probably be simple to prove him unfit... but what if?? I also don't have the money to fight a custody battle if that is what it comes to. I want him to give up his rights without a fight. He owes about $15,000 in child support (he ovbiously doesn't pay). I don't know where he is to send him any papers even and I know how spending it is to run a publication. Is there a way that anyone knows of to go about this without opening a can of worms? I don't want child support from him... can I write it off? Could that be my weapon? Do I need a lawyer? Anyone got any ideas? I don't want to end up ripping the rug from under myself... life is good now it would be better if our family was complete, same last name and all.
I have a seven year old perfect little girl. Her father was abusive to me and started to be abusive toward her before we got out. She was one when he left and he only came around 2 or 3 times to see her after he moved out. We were never married. He left the state within a few months of his departure. Since then he has been in and out of his local jail and spent a year in prison all on drug charges (meth). He is mean and scarey. Unfortunaley, I was too scared and I never called the cops on him for any of my "beatings" therefore there is nothing to document his abuse.
For the last six years I have lived with no legal custody of my daughter. He has none either. In Washington state, when no papers are filed legal custody is the parent who physically has the child. There are paternity papers stating that he is the legal Father. I am now married to the only man that my daughter knows as Daddy and he wants to adopt her.
I have feared filing any papers because I don't want him to have ANY visitations and chances are he would recieve some even if they were supervised he doesn't deserve them. She has a man in her life who loves her and is Dad. I know that with his drug past it would probably be simple to prove him unfit... but what if?? I also don't have the money to fight a custody battle if that is what it comes to. I want him to give up his rights without a fight. He owes about $15,000 in child support (he ovbiously doesn't pay). I don't know where he is to send him any papers even and I know how spending it is to run a publication. Is there a way that anyone knows of to go about this without opening a can of worms? I don't want child support from him... can I write it off? Could that be my weapon? Do I need a lawyer? Anyone got any ideas? I don't want to end up ripping the rug from under myself... life is good now it would be better if our family was complete, same last name and all.