State of Missouri - Please help me see my kids - Any advice?

[chiefsfan36]

We have two children. Never married but we lived together for 7 years.  The break up was messy and she went after child support after we broke up. We have no child custody in place at this time as neither one of us has gone to court.  She picks up and moves the kids every year to a different address and I always end up not knowing where they are at.  When I finally find out where she's living (usually through some document sent through child support) she only lets me visit.  I cannot take the kids with me anywhere.  When I lost my job, she wouldn't let me see them at all until I started paying child support again.  I found a job, started paying child support again, but there's always some excuse as to why the kids aren't home so I can't even visit them at this point.  They're either off with her mother or her brother has picked them up.

I have no child abuse, felony, domestic violence or any crime sheet at all.  I have a stable environment, a place for them to sleep comfortable should they be able to spend the night and I am working.

I called the Jackson County Family Division (Kansas City, MO) and that's where I found out father's really don't have a lot of rights to their kids.  I found out I just couldn't walk in and file papers requesting visitation rights.  The laws are so complicated that you need a lawyer to do this for you.  I don't have $1,500 and because I don't have the $1,500 I don't get to see my kids and there's nothing the State can do for me.  It has been beyond frustrating dealing with the family court.  I don't know where else to turn to.  Don't know what else to do.  I tried Legal Aid but they only work cases where there is child abuse present.  So these kids not being a part of their father's life is not detrimental to their health??  I just don't get it.  All I want to do is spend time with my kids.  I'm not looking to run away with them or cause any trouble.  Just want to spend time with them - see how they're doing in school and stuff like that.

Any advice?

Thanks for reading.

Leon

[ocean]

You can file in family court yourself. Call the family court and find out the times you are allowed to follow. Here it is a few hour process. You fill out paperwork for visitation, they type it up, and you sign it. Here is takes about 3 weeks to get your first court date. Once at court you can ask for at the very least..standard visitation. (every other weekend, once during the week, vacations, holidays, birthday's, fathers day). It may take a few times in court to get on order in place. Just remain calm and just say you want time with your kids. As for the school, call them up directly. They must provide you with report cards. We get it mailed to our house directly. Be nice, but firm. There is a letter on this site you can send them. Schools are used to this and will just add you to the list. You may have to provide verification that you are the father. You can get copies of the emergency card and see what mom put down under "father".

[treici]

My husband's ex is in Jackson County and he went to court there--had to register his IL order and then modified, he had visitation only at the time (no legal custody) and it was that garbage "reasonable visitation" set up where the X had all the control. 

His lawyer was Corinne Corley.  She is specifically father's rights and knows her stuff (she is also an ex prosecuter and if familiar with the judges and other lawyers.  BUT, you will be screened by her paralegal before she will consider taking your case and if you talk badly about your ex, she won't do it.