What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA
My son's mother and I do not currently have a custody agreement. Everything was fine for a while. However she had to drastically change the time she wanted to pick up our son on his birthday a few weeks ago. Low and behold she came with a man to pick up our son. I remember her mentioning someone she hated, him, a time or two when we dated so I had a gut feeling to look up the states arrest website. Last month he was arrested for child endangerment. He also has a drug arrest pending from when he violated his ARD program. I contacted her other son's father to let him be aware of that. I received a call back from him the next day to find out that he looked up the article in their paper and it was our son's mothers address that the incident occurred. When he asked her grandmother, she let him know that it was indeed their son. He left their son outside for over an hour in the rain while he was in the home passed out on the sofa. When I asked our son's mother about the situation she told me that she would never let her children around anyone who would harm them, and would never let her children alone with the man. And that his arrest was his business, not hers. Yet the police report in the paper stated that just the man was alone with her older son.
The reason she completely changed the agreed time on our son's 2nd birthday was so she could take that guy to his hearing to post bail.
Do I think our son is in imminent danger? No, because he's never come filthy or hungry or with any marks on him. I am just concerned with her recent actions about his future. Ever since she broke up with her last fiance (whom was a good person) she went off the deep end. Like, completely off the deep end.
Since May she has given me less than an hour to no notice that she won't be picking up our son due to (insert excuse). I have had our son 4-5 nights a week since then. Before May, I have had him 3-4 nights a week since he was born. When she does pick him up, it's usually 1-3 hours later than she said she would be there. I did document all the times.
Her grandparents already watches her older child so they refuse to watch our son. So while I am at work my parents watch him Monday and Tuesday and then Wednesday to Friday my mom takes him to the daycare where she is a manager of the room he is in. Which I pay for. So he is never out of sight of me or my family. When my mom retires, regardless of who's time it is with our son, he will be with them while we work. When I am done work I have our son until she picks him up.
She only works 3 days a week yet lies about her work times. I know this because I work in the same company she does and our department frequently visits her office building and she isn't there when she says she is. So, even on her days off, she drops our son off with me or my parents at about 9 AM nd doesn't pick him up until close to 7 PM. However, she is being fired from her job as of this week due to always being late and misconduct. She is also in risk of being evicted due to being so far behind on her bills and rent. Yet, she has a brand new 2015 Subaru.
Her older son's father spoke with her grandmother and her grandmother told him to go to court for custody and she told him that she would testify on his behalf. She told me that she would testify on my behalf as well. So it happens that I will be filing for custody at almost the same time that her older son's father will.
My living situation is I own a 3 bedroom home with no mortgage. I work at a stable job 9-5 every weekday with an excellent health care and dental policy. I also get 10 sick days each year which roll over yearly up to 90 sick days. I also receive an automatic 3 week vacation every year which can be broken down to days and even half days.
I am anxious about filing because I have never been through a process like this. What would be good questions to ask my attorney when I meet with him for my initial consultation? If he asks what I would like in a custody agreement, since I've never been to court before, what would be a reasonable answer to give him?
My son's mother and I do not currently have a custody agreement. Everything was fine for a while. However she had to drastically change the time she wanted to pick up our son on his birthday a few weeks ago. Low and behold she came with a man to pick up our son. I remember her mentioning someone she hated, him, a time or two when we dated so I had a gut feeling to look up the states arrest website. Last month he was arrested for child endangerment. He also has a drug arrest pending from when he violated his ARD program. I contacted her other son's father to let him be aware of that. I received a call back from him the next day to find out that he looked up the article in their paper and it was our son's mothers address that the incident occurred. When he asked her grandmother, she let him know that it was indeed their son. He left their son outside for over an hour in the rain while he was in the home passed out on the sofa. When I asked our son's mother about the situation she told me that she would never let her children around anyone who would harm them, and would never let her children alone with the man. And that his arrest was his business, not hers. Yet the police report in the paper stated that just the man was alone with her older son.
The reason she completely changed the agreed time on our son's 2nd birthday was so she could take that guy to his hearing to post bail.
Do I think our son is in imminent danger? No, because he's never come filthy or hungry or with any marks on him. I am just concerned with her recent actions about his future. Ever since she broke up with her last fiance (whom was a good person) she went off the deep end. Like, completely off the deep end.
Since May she has given me less than an hour to no notice that she won't be picking up our son due to (insert excuse). I have had our son 4-5 nights a week since then. Before May, I have had him 3-4 nights a week since he was born. When she does pick him up, it's usually 1-3 hours later than she said she would be there. I did document all the times.
Her grandparents already watches her older child so they refuse to watch our son. So while I am at work my parents watch him Monday and Tuesday and then Wednesday to Friday my mom takes him to the daycare where she is a manager of the room he is in. Which I pay for. So he is never out of sight of me or my family. When my mom retires, regardless of who's time it is with our son, he will be with them while we work. When I am done work I have our son until she picks him up.
She only works 3 days a week yet lies about her work times. I know this because I work in the same company she does and our department frequently visits her office building and she isn't there when she says she is. So, even on her days off, she drops our son off with me or my parents at about 9 AM nd doesn't pick him up until close to 7 PM. However, she is being fired from her job as of this week due to always being late and misconduct. She is also in risk of being evicted due to being so far behind on her bills and rent. Yet, she has a brand new 2015 Subaru.
Her older son's father spoke with her grandmother and her grandmother told him to go to court for custody and she told him that she would testify on his behalf. She told me that she would testify on my behalf as well. So it happens that I will be filing for custody at almost the same time that her older son's father will.
My living situation is I own a 3 bedroom home with no mortgage. I work at a stable job 9-5 every weekday with an excellent health care and dental policy. I also get 10 sick days each year which roll over yearly up to 90 sick days. I also receive an automatic 3 week vacation every year which can be broken down to days and even half days.
I am anxious about filing because I have never been through a process like this. What would be good questions to ask my attorney when I meet with him for my initial consultation? If he asks what I would like in a custody agreement, since I've never been to court before, what would be a reasonable answer to give him?
