Legal help for friend with child custody battle

[kcsuper]

My friend and I reside in CT. She (22 yrs. old) has recently lost custody of her 3 yr. old son due to drug abuse at the beginning of this year by her Mother. This occured while she was in a residential rehab for her addiction in which he has been drug-free ever since. Her Mother obtained full custody of her son (the Mother's grandson) during this time. The child's Father (25 yrs. old) has an extensive criminal history involving mainly drugs for many years...btw-they are not together. Being the Father, my friend's Mother allow him overnight visitation on many occasions which is extremely undesireable by myself and my friend due to back-and-forth between criminal and drug activity. He has verbally and physically abused my friend, though this has never been technically been proven and cannot be proven through means of her case. At the moment, and for the last two months, my friend has been livings with her son's Father home (his Mother's house) so that she can see her son often and overnight which is again, very undesireable by her and myself due to the abuse and constant stress he gives her. She has since been extremely depressed by the scenario she is in but is determined to regain custody of her son by any means possible. Basically, her son's Father and his entire family is a bad breed and is very maniupulative with my friend's parents, his son, and the court system to ultimately rid my friend of any relationship with her son to the points where they threaten to have DCF be involved with her son which would be severely detrimental since my friend is the greatest mother and has been drug-free since the beginning. We are both willing to try anything that will cause her to regain custody of her son. We are both; however, at a loss since the Father's entire family is extremely adamant to rid my friend of any sort of custody by means of lying and cheating the system and involving DCF any way possible. This entire situation is unfair to say the least to my friend and her son. Any advice on what we should do is very greatly appreciated. I have been attempting lawyer consultation for her lately but not sure if it will help but as I've said, we are willing to try absolutely anything...she currently has a court appointed lawyer. I very much want her to live back with me but want most of all for her to have her son back. Her current living situation with her son's Father is very unhealthy for both her and her son. Please help...thank you.
Casey Stack

 

[Ohiogal]

My friend and I reside in CT. She (22 yrs. old) has recently lost custody of her 3 yr. old son due to drug abuse at the beginning of this year by her Mother. This occured while she was in a residential rehab for her addiction in which he has been drug-free ever since.

She lost custody because she was a drug addict and chose drugs over her chidl.

Her Mother obtained full custody of her son (the Mother's grandson) during this time.

Okay.

The child's Father (25 yrs. old) has an extensive criminal history involving mainly drugs for many years...btw-they are not together. Being the Father, my friend's Mother allow him overnight visitation on many occasions which is extremely undesireable by myself and my friend due to back-and-forth between criminal and drug activity.

Your friend has no say so in who the child's custodian allows around the child -- and you most definitely do not. YOUR opinion has no bearing. If your friend wanted to make the decisions she should not have turned into a drug addict.

He has verbally and physically abused my friend, though this has never been technically been proven and cannot be proven through means of her case. At the moment, and for the last two months, my friend has been livings with her son's Father home (his Mother's house) so that she can see her son often and overnight which is again, very undesireable by her and myself due to the abuse and constant stress he gives her.

He is a horrible horrible person -- so pathetically evil that she willingly is staying with him and there is no proof of his diabolical deeds. NOt buying it. Sounds like an excuse your friend is giving you.

She has since been extremely depressed by the scenario she is in but is determined to regain custody of her son by any means possible.

She has to prove that a substantial change in circumstance in the life of the child exists.

Basically, her son's Father and his entire family is a bad breed and is very maniupulative with my friend's parents, his son, and the court system to ultimately rid my friend of any relationship with her son to the points where they threaten to have DCF be involved with her son which would be severely detrimental since my friend is the greatest mother and has been drug-free since the beginning.

And yet she is living with the father? And yet she was drug free since the beginning and was in in-patient rehab for her addiction when her mother got custody? Your story is NOT adding up.

We are both willing to try anything that will cause her to regain custody of her son. We are both; however, at a loss since the Father's entire family is extremely adamant to rid my friend of any sort of custody by means of lying and cheating the system and involving DCF any way possible. This entire situation is unfair to say the least to my friend and her son.

So does your "friend" have a court order for visitation? If not, she should get one.

Any advice on what we should do is very greatly appreciated. I have been attempting lawyer consultation for her lately but not sure if it will help but as I've said, we are willing to try absolutely anything...she currently has a court appointed lawyer. I very much want her to live back with me but want most of all for her to have her son back. Her current living situation with her son's Father is very unhealthy for both her and her son. Please help...thank you.
Casey Stack

Casey, quite frankly, you are not being given all the facts. You also have a biased view. Your "friend" needs to get a visitation order and make the choice -- she is an adult after all -- to decide to stand on her own two feet. If she didn't want to live with baby daddy then she would NOT be living with baby daddy. She apparently wants to be there or she wouldn't be as she has options.