Fathers rights

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ardad

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I have a 2 yr old daughter out of wedlock. Her mother refuses to let me see her and now she has decided to move from Nashville, TN to somewhere in TX and turn her phone off. She refuses to tell me where my daughter will be.

Is there anything I can do? I know she is not in a good place and I would like to pursue gaining custody of her.
 
Have you established paternity? Are you paying child support? If no (paternity) do so, if yes you'll have to hire a lawyer for vistation or joint custody which in turn will trigger child support and maybe past due child support if you are not already paying. They won't just give you custody because the mother moved or because she won't let you have contact. You would have to prove that the mother is somehow unfit and the best interest of the child would be to live with you as primary.
 
Paternity is done. She decided not to do child support within the system but I have been sending money. Is there any laws or programs of any kind that will help me at least be able to know where she is taking my daughter?
 
You'll probably have to hire a lawyer to establish a formal visitation schedule or joint custody and rights then go after her for violation. I hope you have kept receipts for your child support payments because that will be determined during the visitation/custody hearing. Without a court ordered visitation there is nothing legally you can do short of hiring a private detective, so get started on lawyer. However, i don't know how that will work if you don't know where she is moving, but a lawyer will be able to tell you the steps you need to take. Check out some websites for dads...I'll try and look some up right now.
 
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You can also make an appt with a family law attorney and discuss this with him. Your state probably has jurisdiction so you have a reasonable shot of being able to file for custody, or ask that mom return the child to your state.
 
This is all great information. Currently I am calling the county she lives in to try and figure out what I can do just to learn where she is living or something of that nature.

Any other sites for dads would be helpful.

Thanks
 
Ok, In my research I found that state and federal governments offer a "Parent Locator Service" to help parents find the other parent for child support services or help a parent without custody to find a child that has been concealed.

Does anyone know anything about this?
 
Maybe they run that program through the State Attorney General's office? I believe they are the ones that deal with child support so they may do the same to help parents w/out custody. The website doesn't tell you any more than that? Have you tried googling Parent Locator Service with and without the federal part and State name?
 
yeah and it just gave me some more information. Tomorrow when offices in TN open back up in the morning I am going to call to ask them about it. I am also going to find out if TN considers it a felony to conceal a child and take them out state...
(found from http://www.lectlaw.com/files/fam16.htm under custodial interference)

Are there any other questions I should ask them?
 
I doubt it is a felony since you did not have any type of court order, BUT you never know. They may offer some type of legal services on a sliding scale or can direct you on where you can obtain reasonably priced legal help. Good luck tomorrow and keep us posted!
 
It is not illegal to take the child out of state absent a court order. She is the mother so she has not done anything criminal..yet.

a family court judge might not be too impressed with her.
 
Why is it ok for her to just take off with his child. Doesn't that go with kidnapping or something. I was wanting to do the same thing but I'm worried I will be in trouble. I'm sure each state has different laws. When you dont' have the permission of the other parent to leave the state you both live in and no court paper saying it is ok, There has got to be something up with all that.
Please advise
 
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