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[jreichner]

Jurisdiction/Place:

I am just wondering what my rights were with regards to child custody. I am now the proud father of a 4 mo old girl. I currently live with her mother. Her mother and I are having some issues that look to be detrimental to our relationship. What rights do I have as the father? I am not sure where this will go.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[rochella]

Lucky for you, actually. You have every right to see the daughter. And you'll get to, but you probably won't get as much time as a divorced father would, and you won't have to pay her anything either.

[duelingbass]

How does that work? cause see, I am an unwed father and I was given temporary orders to pay 20% of gross, and off it went... so how is it that unwed parents dont pay? Just curious cause with the laws now-a-days, that was impossible i thought?

[duelingbass]

How does that work? cause see, I am an unwed father and I was given temporary orders to pay 20% of gross, and off it went... so how is it that unwed parents dont pay? Just curious cause with the laws now-a-days, that was impossible i thought?


Lemme know... if can,

lata's

[Duranie]

Has paternity been established? Are you sure you are the father?

You need to file for visitation and/or joint custody. Honestly, you probably should look into seeing an attorney, or contacting a law school near you that might offer some help. Since the baby is young you probably won't get more than 1 2 overnights a week but you are entitled to unsupervised visitation, if paternity has been established.

[duelingbass]

well this is where it might get complicated, cause here is the dilema i am in. I paid my support as ordered, but we never got full orders from the court. My daughter is 5 years old now, and we are still under temporary orders. We flat out both ran out of money and just quit going to court. Right now, the temporary orders have me listed as the joint conservator, and her as the primary. But we are set up as joint conservators of the child, so i assume that would mean joint custody with primary residence being at her moms. I rarely get a chance to see my daughter due to living arrangements, and her mom has held her over my head and my familys heads as a trophy. She is only using the child as leverage to gain support from me. Its a sad situation because she is rarely with my daughter to begin with. So, living in Tx, i can sign away rights, and be out of the whole deal completely from what i have found out thus far. I am not sure if this is the best route to take seeing the situation as it is. But i recently lost my job and i havent been able to pay the support in the temporary orders until just now. From what i have been told, now she plans to try to put me in jail because of the payments that have been missed, when the whole time i have been communicating my situation with her. She recently found out that i became engaged so this is only adding fuel to her fire, and she is making my life as difficult as humanly possible. I am kinda stuck in a rock and a hard place, not sure which path to take, and awaiting the inevitbale... which i am afraid will be jail time. dont get me wrong, i do care for my daughter, but i havent been in the position to be of much help lately. I know that she will crack if i sign over custody, but at what costs to me? She has to have my family help her with everything she gets involved in, and has been a mooch in that sense. Its kinda getting old, and now I am at a point where she has gone to far by threating me with tihs jail deal. I know that this is a serious issue, but enough is enought already... your thoughts?

-Peter

[duelingbass]

oh paternity was established, i am the father.

[Duranie]

First of all you cannot terminate rights. Not sure where you came up with that.

Secondly, you need to file for official custody and visitation. Until you do this mom will continue to play games. If you allow her to do this you will continue paying child support for a child you never see.

Start using your rights.