Don't Know Where To Turn

[HelpForFriend]

My best friend has an 19 month old son and has been in court with him since he was 8 months old.  She was never married to the father and the father walked out when her son was a month old and did not try to see him until he took her to court when the child was 8 months old.  When taken to court for the first time the judge gave him a 10 week trial period with supervised visitation for the child to get to know the father. 

The father only showed one time and canceled the others.  As of right now between the 19 month old and his 8 year old daughter with his ex-wife he is $11,000 behind in child support.  He has a history of alcohol/drug abuse and has been admitted into the psych ward for mental evaluation/suicidal.  While my friend was 5 months pregnant with her son the father left the country with his ex-girlfriend who is now his current wife and lost custody to his 8 year due to abandonment when he left the country (he left her with his mother and the child was 2 hours away from her mother).

He has had domestic violence charges against him and my friend had an EPO on him while she was pregnant.  His ex-girlfriend has made numerous comments on the internet and on the phone about her son being better off dead and made comments about wanting to chop my friend's head off and put her in a body bag.  The case has gone through the Cabinet of Child Services and has been through many social workers. 

The current worker wrote a letter to the judge with the recommendation of supervised visits with the father and child because she stated the child was not mentally or physically safe with the father unsupervised at this time.  The judge over the case has thrown out all the documents including the recommendation from the Cabinet of Child Services and has ordered visitation to the father every weekend from Fridays at 6 until Sundays at 6 and stated that the mother was not allowed to have any contact with the father or his new wife while they have her son. 

She put in the court order that if my friend did not give her son to the father this weekend she would award sole custody to the father. Something seems a little fishy about the situation and I would highly appreciate any advice that anyone could give me to tell her.  She supposed to take her son and drop him off with the father tomorrow at 6 PM and her son has no clue who his father even is.  With comments made by the father's new wife there is no doubt in my mind that she would harm the child due to the hatred she has for his mother. 

My friend is not taking him to drop her son off with his father because in doing so she would be placing her child in danger.  Any advice, tips, referrals to anyone would be appreciated.  She has a lawyer but he is not giving her much advice on the subject.  PLEASE HELP!

[Momfortwo]

Did your friend have an attorney?  If not, she needs to get one and appeal the decision.  IMMEDIATELY.   If she does, then she needs to get a new one and appeal the decision.

[grtdaddy]

19 months old and 11k in over due support? something doesn't sound right here.

[Kitty C.]

Grtdaddy, the father also has an 8 y.o. that he's behind support on.............for $11,000 between both children.  That's realistic.