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Has anyone had any experience with a Special Advocate in Colorado (now called a Child and Family Investigator)? My ex boyfriend, father of my 18 mo. daughter is requesting a CFI to determine what's "in her best interests" before we go to court for final orders. This sounds expensive and scary. We never lived together, never married, and my daughter has never spent the night away from me. Her father takes her to his mother's house for a 6 hour visit every Sat., and that's all she can handle. She comes home hungry, tired, over-excited and is very clingy. I'm afraid of what the CFI will recommend.

Dear Soc,

The paternal grandmother filed a motion to allow her to intervene in my paternity case (The father admits paternity, so this case is to decide parenting responsibilities, visitation, decision making.)

She also filed for grandparent visitation. Both of these motions were denied. Now she's taking them to the Colorado court of appeals.

1. If the decisions are affirmed, what legal step could she take next?

2. If the decisions are reversed, what can I do to fight her?

3. How many further legal steps could be involved, if she loses her appeal?

4. When, if ever, is the court's decision absolutely final? In other words, will she be able to take me back to court again and again?

Thank you for your time.

Dear Soc,
     The BF has visitation, which takes place at his mother's house. Our orders require that he provide for the 2 year-old child's care during his parenting time, and that he is the only one to drive the child while he is with him.
     The paternal GM has filed for visitation, and wants her own time with the child in addition to the time the BF already has. This was denied by the court, but is now going to appeal. The PGM is not a danger to the child, but wants "her own time" with the child.

     What are the chances that she'll win her appeal?

     What evidence should I be prepared to present?

Thank you.

Dear Soc,
My daughter and her child's BF have temp. orders and it's time to settle up the permanent orders for their 20 month-old. It's been a long, expensive legal battle. Now the BF has filed a motion for the appointment of a Child and Family Investigator, and this was ordered by the court. He was ordered to pay 75% of the cost, and doesn't like the CFI the court appointed.

This CFI is very expensive and is not able to begin work on the evaluation until the end of next month, which means it won't be possible for him to complete the evaluation within the court's 45 day allowance.

My daughter's attorney asked the BF's attorney to agree to an extension, but they refused. The BF wants another CFI of his choosing to be assigned.

What can my daughter's attorney do to keep the original CFI assignment?

What could the BF's attorney do to get the order changed?
 

Dear Soc,
How do you recommend that I deal with what I believe are over-charges by my attorney? He recently brought in a new attorney to work on my case (without my permission), and I am being charged huge sums for her work. I like and trust my original attorney, and want to continue to have her represent me. What is the correct way to handle this?
Thank you

Does anyone ever get awarded attorney fees? My daughter has two expensive litigations going on. One is the usual parenting time/decision-making/child support issues with the BF. The other is an absolutely unnecessary quest by the paternal grandmother to get her own visits with the child (in addition to the father's visits which take place twice a week at her house.) The attorney filed a motion for attorney fees from the grandmother after she (gr.ma) lost her case, but the court denied them. Now she's appealing the court's decision, which will cost another $10,000. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Soc, can you tell me what a CFI investigation entails, what it costs and how long it takes. My daughter is 18 months old. Will the CFI come into my home and the home of the BF to observe us with her? Will our "history" be considered in the CFI recommendations for parenting time and decision-making? I've documented every visit from the BF since the baby's birth. Will the CFI look at this?
Thank you.

My daughter and her 18 mo. old daughter live with my husband and me. I provide all daycare for my granddaughter at no charge. The biological father never married my daughter, they never lived together, but he is named on the baby's birth certificate and admits paternity. They have temporary court orders and it's time to file for permanent orders, but the father is requesting the assignment of a child and family investigator to determine what's in the child's best interests. The father is always late for his visits, cancels visits often, and argues every little thing in the temp. orders. It doesn't seem possible for the two of them to share decision-making or agree on the parenting time. Can anyone tell me what to expect from the C&F Investigator? The baby has never spent the night away from home...are overnight visits with the father appropriate for her at this age? Thanks for any help you can give.

My grandchild is under 2 and the BF is supposed to have visitation but the child is vomiting, running a fever and has been since last week's visit. What is the norm for visits with a sick child? I know that the BF needs to know how to care for him, but I don't think the child should have to be taken out when so ill. We've offered to allow the visit to take place here, but the BF doesn't like to do that.

I am seeking sole decision-making for my 18 month old daughter. The bio-father, whom I was never married to and never lived with, is opposed to this. He has missed most of the baby's doctor visits, is always late for visits, cancels visits occasionally, and wants everything to be a "compromise" without consideration for what's usual and good for the baby. He's hell-bent on getting more visitation time and wants to be able to decide who takes care of the baby during his time. This is so he can take her to his mother and leave her there. (His mother has filed a grandparent's rights suit against me so she can have "her own time" with my daughter. She lost, but has appealed.) We've tried to discuss this, but always end up in an argument. When we went to mediation prior to temporary orders, he tried to run the show, getting very condescending and belligerent. I just don't see any reason to agree to joint decision-making when we can't agree on anything. I think it would cause more problems for our child in the long run. Right now he has 8 hours of visitation a week (at his mother's house) and our temp. orders require him to follow my lead in terms of our baby's care. He has paid child support since we got the temp. orders, although he's sometimes late. He refuses to discuss with me how the baby's doing during his visits, or what's gone on. He doesn't like to be told about her development, what she's learning, how I do things with her, etc. Our communication is very poor. I even suggested communication counseling but he wasn't interested. Sorry this is so long... can anyone tell me what my chances are for getting sole decision-making? What, if any, are the advantages to joint decision-making? Thank you.