What is the name of your state? WI
Hopefully one of you can give me some good advice. My situation is: I have a 4 year old daughter, from the day I got my girlfriend pregnant (She was 18, I was 17) I did everything for her, like any father should. I got her an apartment because she was living in a not so good place, I paid all her bills, I allowed her not to work, and I went to every single doctor appointment. After my daughter was born I attempted to go to college but had to drop out to pay the bills because my girlfriend decided all she wanted to do was sit at home and do nothing. She didn't even clean, the place was disgusting, mold growing everywhere, nothing getting cleaned, until I would give up on her actually doing it and do it myself. After 3 years of fully supporting her I decided I had enough with her ways and I kicked her out(I had given her many chances to correct her ways). My daughter continued living with me full time, and would mainly only spend time with her mother while I was at work. I finally got myself out of the debt I incurred while with my daughters mom and got myself back into school. I thought her mother made a turn around because she moved back in to help me pay bills, and we were starting to be able to work things out after about a year. However, now she seemed to have found a new guy that has nothing to offer her or my daughter, and is now willing to go back on her agreements to help me get through school. I now have the opportunity to attend a great school, UW-Madison, and she seems willing to just toss out all the opportunities this would mean for me, my daughter, and her. I've come up with a plan that would help us all, and explained what this could mean for my daughters future, but she just doesn't seem to care. I don't know if any of this stuff really matters, but now she is refusing to move to Madison with me(its about 130 miles south of where we live now), and when I transfer there custody is going to have to go one way or another. So, I was hoping that the fact that I have always put my daughters interest first, and was 100% financial supporter of her for most of her life, would be an advantage for me when we end up in court fighting for custody. I really don't want to leave my daughter, it would be so hard to be that far away from her, and the experience for her would be great because I currently live in a small central WI area where there is really nothing for her future. Will the courts consider all this? Or do I have a huge disadvantage just because she is the mother, and because I am the one leaving? Would the fact that I've been doing everything to work with her, and even come up with a plan that would greatly benefit her future work in my favor? Also, would it matter that the person she's chosen to spend all her time with now is a class-c felon?
I'm sorry about all the questions, but its not every day someone like me gets the opportunity to attend a great college like that, plus the school of business, which I plan on attending, ranks very high in the nation. So, I'm very desperate to find a way to make this work without having to leave my daughter. I think her mother has proven that she does not make decisions that are in the best interest of her daughter. Any help you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much,
Tim
Hopefully one of you can give me some good advice. My situation is: I have a 4 year old daughter, from the day I got my girlfriend pregnant (She was 18, I was 17) I did everything for her, like any father should. I got her an apartment because she was living in a not so good place, I paid all her bills, I allowed her not to work, and I went to every single doctor appointment. After my daughter was born I attempted to go to college but had to drop out to pay the bills because my girlfriend decided all she wanted to do was sit at home and do nothing. She didn't even clean, the place was disgusting, mold growing everywhere, nothing getting cleaned, until I would give up on her actually doing it and do it myself. After 3 years of fully supporting her I decided I had enough with her ways and I kicked her out(I had given her many chances to correct her ways). My daughter continued living with me full time, and would mainly only spend time with her mother while I was at work. I finally got myself out of the debt I incurred while with my daughters mom and got myself back into school. I thought her mother made a turn around because she moved back in to help me pay bills, and we were starting to be able to work things out after about a year. However, now she seemed to have found a new guy that has nothing to offer her or my daughter, and is now willing to go back on her agreements to help me get through school. I now have the opportunity to attend a great school, UW-Madison, and she seems willing to just toss out all the opportunities this would mean for me, my daughter, and her. I've come up with a plan that would help us all, and explained what this could mean for my daughters future, but she just doesn't seem to care. I don't know if any of this stuff really matters, but now she is refusing to move to Madison with me(its about 130 miles south of where we live now), and when I transfer there custody is going to have to go one way or another. So, I was hoping that the fact that I have always put my daughters interest first, and was 100% financial supporter of her for most of her life, would be an advantage for me when we end up in court fighting for custody. I really don't want to leave my daughter, it would be so hard to be that far away from her, and the experience for her would be great because I currently live in a small central WI area where there is really nothing for her future. Will the courts consider all this? Or do I have a huge disadvantage just because she is the mother, and because I am the one leaving? Would the fact that I've been doing everything to work with her, and even come up with a plan that would greatly benefit her future work in my favor? Also, would it matter that the person she's chosen to spend all her time with now is a class-c felon?
I'm sorry about all the questions, but its not every day someone like me gets the opportunity to attend a great college like that, plus the school of business, which I plan on attending, ranks very high in the nation. So, I'm very desperate to find a way to make this work without having to leave my daughter. I think her mother has proven that she does not make decisions that are in the best interest of her daughter. Any help you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much,
Tim
