My sister can't afford a lawyer, but wants full custody of her child.  What to do?  He's a beater.?
818920
Is their an agency called adv/sas in your area they will do all the legal work for you along with an order of protection. Also dcfs can take care of the issue. Or their is prairie state legal it does divorces for free and child custody.
430834
It depends on the appeal how much it will cost and how long it will take. Your daughter needs a lawyer. If she doesn't have any money she should contact the BAR Association and ask if they can recommend one who will work for free or at a reduced cost. Your daughter will want to file for child support and sole custody.  She may also want to file a civil case against this guy for damages and pain and suffering. The personal injury lawyer will usually work for a percentage of the value of the case so your daughter probably won't need any money up front. Good luck.
264642
I did the same thing with my ex husband.  It cost much less than a lawyer and you can apply with the Attorney General for free to get the Child support and custody resolved.  Lawyers are all about the money.
177087
you always do, but you can get it reduced since she has no actual physical custody of your kid. Talk to your lawyer, because I think you may have to ask for custody to prove you are not just being a scum bag
207549
i would get a family lawyer that specifically deals with child custody cases. it is very possible you can get custody of the child in question. the judge may even order that the father be put in rehab for a certain amount of time and then have to attend parenting classes just to have visitation rights. they did the same thing to my sister and my parents when i was growing up but that is here in texas. insure of your location so the laws may be alot different. contact a family lawyer to find out more.\ngood luck
363757
get a lawyer. i think you could win with his past history and her being a baby girl.
715365
his idea is nothing short of abuse.  \n\nIf you are in the US, get to the courhouse and file for temporary support and visitation schedules.  \n\nWith a guy like this, you also ned to get an attorney asap.
872645
My dear, if the attorney is willing to take the unethical risk of jeopardizing his clients defense in order to advance his career, then you need a new lawyer.\n\nBe sure that such is the actual case first, and that this is not something you are perceiving because you are nervous about your daughter's situation.
1024258
the trick is to not make everything "tit for tat".  Point out to him that she is hurting as much as he is and that they need to address eachother about trouble issues between them without putting you in the middle. You are not responsible for his or her actions, they are. Sometimes nothing can be done that is rational and it must become a legal matter, however, you CAN request of the court, a situation that would force the two of them to deal with eachother themselves.  Tell the court you are concerned about the relationship between the two and that you would like the court to order the two of them to get councelling together.  That may be harder than the way it is now but nothing is ever easy and the outcome of that may be better in the long run than leaving things as is! This is only one thing you can do to remove yourself from the conflict between the two of them and stay out of the "bad guy" spot light. Beyond that, the only thing you can do is just be there for your daughter and defend her when all else fails. Now would be a good time to start teaching her how to manage her finances and establish her credit and all the things she will need to be able to do when she is on her own. help her my educating her and showing her how to help herself.
236671
Start with a call to an attorney that practices in Family law, you might be able to get free representation through legal aide, check the community pages of your local phone book. You could also call your local department of human Services, they might be able to help you or at least point you in the right direction... Remember though, if your parents lose custody, it doesn't mean you will automatically get it...you will have to be proved as fit and capable of taking care of children and be financially stable enough to provide for them. They could end up in foster care or another adult in the family that meets the requirements could take them.
471674
Don't try to use the kids against her. That's probably what she does, but if you do the same, it will only make things worse. On the other hand, you might have to fight dirty. Don't be dishonest, and don't ever show your anger, but the courts don't reward chivalrous conduct. If you have money, then hire a lawyer with a successfully pro-father track record. If you don't have money...well, I don't know what to tell you then. I hope I never have to face what you are going through.
939984
I agree with Glo. If she hasn't done so already, she should contact her local domestic violence agency. Some have lawyers on staff and others can refer to lawyers who will provide divorces pro-bono, or at a reduced rate, a sliding scale, or with payment plans. I work as a counselor at a domestic violence agency and we have lawyers that we can call in favors with. \n\nAnd don't be too quick to steer her away from legal aid. In our county, our legal aid does a wonderful job with divorces for women who are being abused. They cross train with our agency so that we are trained on legal issues and they are trained on domestic violence issues. It makes them better equipped to go into court and argue for the victim.\n\nBest of luck to your friend and to you as you support her.
1003718
I know exactly what you're talking about.  My mother and I got custody of my nephew after my sister screwed up.  He was taken from her, we had a choice: foster home or with us.  I think its completely ridiculous to not put your child with family, that's her support system.  You can talk with the social worker.  Most social service departments (Department of Children and Families, Child Protective Services, Department of Children Society, etc.)  their goal is reunification with the natural birth mother.  We wanted to help my sister get him back until she started abusing drugs and alcohol again and married an abusive and violent piece of crap.  Now we are struggling to keep him far from that, and they are pushing for him to go back, even after her 3 DUI's and domestic violence charges in the last 3 years.  Every state is different, but hopefully someone at CPS can help you and you can start on the road to recovery and 'prove' yourself and follow the case plan.  Unless they terminate your parental rights, you always have the right to petition the court for replacement.  I wish you the best of luck!!!
1123300
If the biologcial father has not been in her life since she was 2 years old,  then I am guessing that he has never paid child support either.  I do not know how things work in your state,  but look into filing for child support through the courts.  Put the locating on THEM.  Once he is located he will have to come up with the back child support or face jail.  The option of terminating rights could be presented to him at that time.  (Kind of like sign here and get out of jail free).  That is how my father had to do when it came to adopting my sister.  You would be surprised how quickly they sign to stay free.
401029
Yes.  Speak to a family law attorney.
679829
Dear Friend,\n\nIf you have literally no assets ($0), then you're either going to have to use the Public Defender's office (who will represent your sister for free) or secure aid through a pro bono organization/ legal services clinic.  If you opt for the latter, it might matter what context the assault happened in.  For example, if it was self-defense against a husband or domestic partner, certain battered women's groups may be able to help.  \n\nYour Friend,\nFrancesois
244483
Okay, Joker is exactly wrong.  Since they are not divorced and there is no written visitation or custody order, the one thing she has NOT done is kidnap the child.  The police will be able to do exactly nothing.\n\nIf the wife and child have been residents of Florida for two years now, your brother will probably have to proceed in the Florida courts.  And since he's out of state, the only real viable way for him to do that is to get a Florida lawyer.  \n\nThe lawyer can help him file for visitation and get an order from a court setting out a visitation schedule.  If the wife refuses to follow it, she would be in contempt of court.\n\nActually, there's another option.  Your brother could file for divorce in PA.  This would give PA jurisdiction over custody and visitation.  He'll still need a lawyer but at least he'll be on his home turf and she'll be the one who has to travel.  That should save him some big money.