Chamillion
Member
What is the name of your state? Texas
I have joint physical custody of my daughter Kiona who is now 4 years
old. The mother is the primary custodian, but my daughter has spent the
most time with me. We broke up (not a marriage) when my daughter was
1.5 years old. Since then I have had her in my care 4 days per week or
more for 22 months..and again she's 4 years old.
Her mother wanted her to attend pre-school down in the city where she
lives, but she doesn't have the time to pick her up or drop her off
everyday. I suggested that she allow me to do so because I work 7-3:30pm
and could handle picking her up and dropping her off, especially after
having her enrolled in daycare already and everythign already taken care
of other than just simply enrolling her. She stated the reason I cannot
have her full time is because she thought that my engagement to my
fiancee wasn't real and she thought that I was just trying to upset her.
When she found out, it was from talking to relatives, she then took this
course of action. She made the statement that I cannot see my daughter
unless I leave my fiancee.
She cannot afford to take care of my daughter, and she even works 2
jobs right now. I have a well paying job as well as my fiancee, and we
also have a child together and I'd like to raise them both in the same
house as well. The mother has a long work history of quitting jobs after a
few months, being fired as well as unemployed for quite a while. Just
recently she was also convicted of defrauding the government, so I'm
hoping that helps.
Her mother also has a boyfriend that is a drug dealer (marijuana) who
lives with her, and this is the primary reason that I want to remove her
from the home outside of her mothers instability. She had been lying
to me, even to the point of saying that she had moved out of her
apartment because she didn't want me to know he was living there with her.
My question is, what steps do I need to take to prepare for this battle
to help ensure the possibility of my winning custody of our daughter?
I'm going to meet with my lawyer today after work, but I still would
like advice from you guys here as well on how to conduct myself
thorughout this entire ordeal, and what things I may do to have the court rule
in my my favor, which I feel would be the best interest of the child.
I have joint physical custody of my daughter Kiona who is now 4 years
old. The mother is the primary custodian, but my daughter has spent the
most time with me. We broke up (not a marriage) when my daughter was
1.5 years old. Since then I have had her in my care 4 days per week or
more for 22 months..and again she's 4 years old.
Her mother wanted her to attend pre-school down in the city where she
lives, but she doesn't have the time to pick her up or drop her off
everyday. I suggested that she allow me to do so because I work 7-3:30pm
and could handle picking her up and dropping her off, especially after
having her enrolled in daycare already and everythign already taken care
of other than just simply enrolling her. She stated the reason I cannot
have her full time is because she thought that my engagement to my
fiancee wasn't real and she thought that I was just trying to upset her.
When she found out, it was from talking to relatives, she then took this
course of action. She made the statement that I cannot see my daughter
unless I leave my fiancee.
She cannot afford to take care of my daughter, and she even works 2
jobs right now. I have a well paying job as well as my fiancee, and we
also have a child together and I'd like to raise them both in the same
house as well. The mother has a long work history of quitting jobs after a
few months, being fired as well as unemployed for quite a while. Just
recently she was also convicted of defrauding the government, so I'm
hoping that helps.
Her mother also has a boyfriend that is a drug dealer (marijuana) who
lives with her, and this is the primary reason that I want to remove her
from the home outside of her mothers instability. She had been lying
to me, even to the point of saying that she had moved out of her
apartment because she didn't want me to know he was living there with her.
My question is, what steps do I need to take to prepare for this battle
to help ensure the possibility of my winning custody of our daughter?
I'm going to meet with my lawyer today after work, but I still would
like advice from you guys here as well on how to conduct myself
thorughout this entire ordeal, and what things I may do to have the court rule
in my my favor, which I feel would be the best interest of the child.
