Need help in divorce issue

[gunnerporter]

Hi,

I am going through a terrible divorce. I have 3 1/2 year old that has cerebral palsy and periventricular leukomalacia (brain damage) anyways...my soon to be ex is really giving me some trouble. One minute he wants to sign his rights over and the next he is talking about setting up a time to see him. Keep in mind that he hasn't seen him in a year and in the past two years he has only seen him twice and for about an hour each time.

Our divorce hearing is next week and I need some help. I am a single parent (obviously) and rely solely on his child support and alimoney but unfortunately he can't keep a job. He is on job number 6 now in a year and a half. Luckly we get and SSI check for $375 a month that gives us a little money for groceries, diesel and electic but doesn't always go that far. We are in the negative every month so we are unable to hire an attorney to help us out.

I need to have some florida statues etc under my belt for next week when I walk in there. I am trying to get a mandatory parenting class for him to have to learn how to care for a child with disabilities. I also would like for him to have to take some anger management classes again. He is soooo angry all the time. He was kicked out of my former attorneys office during mediation and caused a big scene, I believe she pressed charges for that as well. I would like supervised visits when he sees my son because I fear that he won't be taken care of properly and that he will get fustrated trying to figure out what my son needs. I want the people that are supervising to be a DCF worker and not a family member or friend. My soon to be ex's girlfriend had her child taken away for drug abuse and now has regained custody, that scares me to think that DCF saw her as such an unfit parent once what makes me so sure that she is such a fit parent now, and to a child that isn't even hers? My son is a lot lot lot of work and I really fear that they will get aggrivated with him and just not understand. I have offered numerous times to do the training but they just don't listen.

They insist that I keep my son away from them because I want them properly trained before they just haul off with him for the weekend. Can you imagine taking a child that does sign language and eye gazing and knowing nothing about either of them off for a weekend trying to care for him and figure out what he wants or needs....that would be almost impossible.

Any information that I can give you to help me in this matter is appreciated. I am at a brick wall right now and need about as much help as I can get.

I really apprecaite your response.

Thanks again.

 

[calalily]

First of all he can't sign over his rights unless you have a new husband who wants to adopt your child or if the courts terminate his parental rights for other reasons other than he wants to. Have you looked on-line for Florida child custody and/or divorce statutes? Also you can google things like "How to file for divorce in Florida" and "How to bla bla bla..." so on and should find something out there to help you. Good luck.

 

[gunnerporter]

Well I did have an attorney but after all the ciaos happened with my soon to be ex she dropped my case. I wonder if it has something to do with him saying he was going to smash her face in and calling her some names I cannot even repeat??? hummm????

My divorce was almost done with but when she withdrew as counsel it had to be set aside for a future court date to finalize everything. Which that court date is next week. Unfortunately I have not been able to find the info I need yet to get him in these classes or to have to manadtory supervised visits....which he probably will never see him willing but just in case I would like them to be supervised if he ever was going to try.

Thanks for the advice I will get to googling,

 

[Duranie]

you cannot have him sign over his rights. Thats an absurd request just because you are getting divorced. He is Dad and he does have rights, not to mention it is not in the childs best interest to leave him legally without a father.

How long were you married? Since your ex cannot hold a job and if the marriage was under 10 years, you probably will not get much alimony. You are going to have to get a job and support the child, there probably is no way around it.

After the divorce you should be able to qualify for some social programs like child care although I do not know what programs exist for diasbled kids.

Do you have any family members that can help out with babysitting while you work? you might want to google some non profit or government programs in your state. I would image you probably qualify for some help.

You probably have a good shot of supervised visits if you ask for them.

If you are not happy with your attorney I would call legal aid, or call around to a family law attorney that can help.