jeffrey tom
New Member
- Jurisdiction
- Texas
I have a tough situation and I know my daughters decision is crucial in determining a proper course of action.
Similar to this thread -
Custodial Parent Keeps Kicking daughter out of her house but won't sign over custody I was not able to post on it as I have insufficient privileges to reply.
My Ex-Wife is the CP and lives near Houston while I live in San Antonio. My current wife and I always look forward to seeing the kids (current wife and I do not have kids together and she does not have kids from her previous marriage) We strive to provide a peaceful, loving, judgement free, and stress free environment for the kids. My oldest is now 19 (about to be 20) and goes to college out of state. My youngest is 16 and is having a hard time living with her mom. My youngest is currently visiting for spring break and dropped some bombs on us. This is about where the similarities from the other thread start to differ.
We just found out that she was hospitalized for a few weeks due to an overdose. My wife knows more about the details but has sworn full privacy of said details. I only know about this because my daughter on the drive from Houston to San Antonio told me the same thing but didn't go into said details like she did with her step-mom (they have a great relationship). The child custody agreement states joint custody and any medical situation must be reported to the other parent. This was never reported to me. My ex-wife has all contact details so there is no excuse not to be able to tell me that our daughter had overdosed and had to be hospitalized for 2 weeks. I feel this is a huge problem. My current wife did break a vow of silence regarding another very important detail that our daughter told her. According to her, she has been kicked out of her home by the ex-wife, cell phone and any other means of communication confiscated, house keys taken, and then left outside her home while her mother goes to work. This typically has happened after an argument of some kind. Her mother works in a medical field and works long shift hours typically over night. You can use your imagination on what that must feel like. Again, I had no knowledge of this until her current visit during spring break. I am assuming that I was kept off the emergency contact lists as well.
What I have known about and helped support the best way I can by providing information on mental illness (more specifically, depression and anxiety) by trying to refer my daughter to experts in this field closer to her near Houston, get her into some sort of alternate therapy such as art, sports, and so on. Apparently this has been meet with some hostility by the ex-wife. She does love power lifting and has become a getaway activity for her.
I brief history of my visitation with my daughters. This had always been a very difficult ordeal. I am recently retired from active duty military and while I was in, I moved around and deployed frequently. This made visitation (out of state) difficult to schedule. I made sure to notify my ex-wife of all deployment schedules, transfers, and moves to help schedule and maximize my time with the kids. Difficult, but made even more complicated when my ex-wife would keep asking that the kids spend less time with me. Not so much in those words but that's what was happening.
Now retired and in a stable home with a stable non moving/business trip job (my now wife also works full time at home) we have the ability to meet my daughters needs both mentally and as loving parents.
What rights do I have when asking for primary custody if my daughter decides she would rather live with my wife and I. I need to get my daughter the help she needs without the worry of her wondering if she has a bed to sleep in when things don't go her way. We are strict but not un-reasonable. I was a teenager once, and remember how difficult things can be. I know in Texas, courts rule child support amounts based on salary. Is there a way I can do this and have it noted that I do not need child support or require it? With my recent military retirement and both my wife and I having full time jobs, our income is more than enough to support her.
I am reluctant to send her back home, but I also know that if I don't, this is a breach of the child custody agreement. I am very worried about her mental and physical well being.
Thank you for taking the time to read this long explanation. Legal fees are not a problem, I want this transaction (providing it is what my daughter wants) to go as smooth as possible. I like to be armed with tools to succeed.
Respectfully,
Jeff
Similar to this thread -
Custodial Parent Keeps Kicking daughter out of her house but won't sign over custody I was not able to post on it as I have insufficient privileges to reply.
My Ex-Wife is the CP and lives near Houston while I live in San Antonio. My current wife and I always look forward to seeing the kids (current wife and I do not have kids together and she does not have kids from her previous marriage) We strive to provide a peaceful, loving, judgement free, and stress free environment for the kids. My oldest is now 19 (about to be 20) and goes to college out of state. My youngest is 16 and is having a hard time living with her mom. My youngest is currently visiting for spring break and dropped some bombs on us. This is about where the similarities from the other thread start to differ.
We just found out that she was hospitalized for a few weeks due to an overdose. My wife knows more about the details but has sworn full privacy of said details. I only know about this because my daughter on the drive from Houston to San Antonio told me the same thing but didn't go into said details like she did with her step-mom (they have a great relationship). The child custody agreement states joint custody and any medical situation must be reported to the other parent. This was never reported to me. My ex-wife has all contact details so there is no excuse not to be able to tell me that our daughter had overdosed and had to be hospitalized for 2 weeks. I feel this is a huge problem. My current wife did break a vow of silence regarding another very important detail that our daughter told her. According to her, she has been kicked out of her home by the ex-wife, cell phone and any other means of communication confiscated, house keys taken, and then left outside her home while her mother goes to work. This typically has happened after an argument of some kind. Her mother works in a medical field and works long shift hours typically over night. You can use your imagination on what that must feel like. Again, I had no knowledge of this until her current visit during spring break. I am assuming that I was kept off the emergency contact lists as well.
What I have known about and helped support the best way I can by providing information on mental illness (more specifically, depression and anxiety) by trying to refer my daughter to experts in this field closer to her near Houston, get her into some sort of alternate therapy such as art, sports, and so on. Apparently this has been meet with some hostility by the ex-wife. She does love power lifting and has become a getaway activity for her.
I brief history of my visitation with my daughters. This had always been a very difficult ordeal. I am recently retired from active duty military and while I was in, I moved around and deployed frequently. This made visitation (out of state) difficult to schedule. I made sure to notify my ex-wife of all deployment schedules, transfers, and moves to help schedule and maximize my time with the kids. Difficult, but made even more complicated when my ex-wife would keep asking that the kids spend less time with me. Not so much in those words but that's what was happening.
Now retired and in a stable home with a stable non moving/business trip job (my now wife also works full time at home) we have the ability to meet my daughters needs both mentally and as loving parents.
What rights do I have when asking for primary custody if my daughter decides she would rather live with my wife and I. I need to get my daughter the help she needs without the worry of her wondering if she has a bed to sleep in when things don't go her way. We are strict but not un-reasonable. I was a teenager once, and remember how difficult things can be. I know in Texas, courts rule child support amounts based on salary. Is there a way I can do this and have it noted that I do not need child support or require it? With my recent military retirement and both my wife and I having full time jobs, our income is more than enough to support her.
I am reluctant to send her back home, but I also know that if I don't, this is a breach of the child custody agreement. I am very worried about her mental and physical well being.
Thank you for taking the time to read this long explanation. Legal fees are not a problem, I want this transaction (providing it is what my daughter wants) to go as smooth as possible. I like to be armed with tools to succeed.
Respectfully,
Jeff
