Can you get sole custody from a abusive father?

[mattngsx]

Im asking this question for my g/f, she is currently looking for legal advice but can't afford it. My question is, her baby's dad is currently in jail for "child abuse" to there infant (less then 6 months old) child. From the pictures I saw, i would have classified it as attempted murder (or something along this line, picture a baby head that looks like a plum). Who knows what long term affect this might have on her child.
Any how, she is truley scared when he gets out of jail in a year that he's going to be able to have visitations. She doesn't want this to happen, even if its supervised. She is worried about the well being of her child. Is it possiable for her to get full custody, without him signing his rights away? Could she do something to completly limit his rights to a minimum, or next to nothing?
This guy has a criminal background, ranging from felonies, to misdomenors. Which either came after they got togather or she didn't know about. I think this guy is in no shape to be a father figure to his child?
Please any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Duranie]

What was the guy charged with and convicted of, or is he in jail awaiting trial? do you know? Child abuse (what degree) etc? She needs to file for sole custody ASAP and if he did commit a crime against the baby that may give her some ammo to have supervised vistation only. Personally if he severly injured the child, she might be successful in terminating rights.

She should be able to either qualify for legal aid. Has she contacted them? Or if she takes her case to a family law attorney, if the attorney feels this child needs to be protected she might get lucky and somebody might give her a really good deal.

This guy sounds like a real loser. too bad she did not do a little investigating on him before she got pregnant-he likely had a record before all this. Now that poor baby gets beat because of it.

You might also post this on lawyers.com message boards. I am not sure of any lawyers on here follow it, but she needs to take some action to save this child. She is the one that selected him to father the child so now she needs to fix the problem

 

[carney]

Full or sole custody still means visitation rights. Supervised visitation might be obtained but it is only tempory. The court system wants the father to be in the child's life even if he is abusive. The court system usually doesn't protect the child. She can try to go to Children and Families. Sometimes they can step in and help her go to court to protect the child. She has to have an attorney. She wont even have a chance in court without one. Children and Families might be able to get her into Legal Aid. She should probably try to get his rights taken away because otherwise he will end up with visitation sometime. It's hard to know if the judge would let her get his rights taken away, but it doesn't hurt to try. Full or sole custody only means that she could make all the doctor and school decisions and wouldn't have to ask the father permission first about anything.