Court was Today

[dipper]

Hi!  Things went well today in court!!  I am so happy to say that we still have shared custody of our granddaughter.  It was a long day.  Our attorney started calling me this morning with some doctor reports - psych said she was medicated and doing alright.  Medical report from last Friday showed she was having 'small fainting spells'.  This after the chaos of last Thursday and she denying anything of the sort.  I told him I did not want her driving our grandchild until she was cleared medically.  Her attorney agreed that she would receive a DMV medical clearance before driving with granddaughter in the car again.


Her attorney was very agreeable today, but they did not want to keep that shared custody.   We came down literally to the wire - went in court to be sworn in when her attorney motioned to our attorney and said we may have an agreement.   The end result - they wanted maternal grandmother on the order as well, just like us.  I didn't like it, but felt that would be difficult to fight in court.   And they wanted one more day a month, saying it would even out when the mother is in the hospital. 


We feel good overall.  We know that while we had a lot of evidence, you just never know what is going to happen in court.  Shared custody, no child support, we still get our sweet girl half the time - and we never wanted to cut anyone out to begin with. 


Thank you all for your advice from your own experiences!!

[ocean]

Yeah!!!!!
So she is not allowed to drive until her doctor writes to DMV?
How did the wording on the hospital go?

Is there any mention of who has primary....next fight I see coming is where she will go to school.

[dipper]

Ocean - there is no primary.  And yes, the battle will be over school in a couple of years (if preschool).  I have a feeling it will all work itself out before then. 


I do not know how the DMV will work out, but I had found the information - someone on here had suggested it - and if reported, the person has to be seizure free for six months.  So, we will see where this goes.  They said DMV medical clearance...so that is what they have to get. 


As for the hospital - our lawyer has to draw up the actual order and I will be glad to see it in writing to make sure I understand.  It was confusing...but we have child Sunday-Friday when she is in hospital if it is on her time....and then her mother can pick her up on Friday until Sunday to take her to visit.  They did ask for one additional day per month to kind of make up for hospitalizations.   

[ocean]

Sounds like it went very well but long exhausting day.....
Hope the wording works out and it should if your lawyer has to write it up!
See what it says if she comes out of the hospital mid week?

Her lawyer played hard ball to see if you would go to trial but knew if he had to do trial today she would loose more with her medical issues.
Take a well needed breather!

[dipper]

If she comes out of hospital during our time - baby stays with us.  But, if she comes out during her regular time...if it's before 6:00 p.m., we return child that day...if later...we may return child at 6:00 p.m. the next day.   No immediately or without any questions.

[MixedBag]

you done well!  Yes, that's playing hard ball which is what the other attorney was doing and you just have to learn how to have confidence because you know you have the cards and play it better.

[dipper]

Thank you!   I was very pleased when the attorney had told me that he wanted me to sit beside him at the table.  I had my own folder and a pen ready to go....there were certain things that I would not have given up on.  We would have fought - win or lose.  I have sent an email to the attorney to clarify things before all is typed up and signed off on as well...just making sure I understand 100%.


We were told something yesterday that I think may have played a big role had we tried the case before the judge.  My older son's girlfriend revealed something she had kept secret.  Last year, someone had threatened to call CPS on the mother (she was still with my son at the time).  She, evidently, was sick at the time. She asked my older son's girlfriend to flush pain meds and tear the labels off the bottles and dispose of them.  She was buying pain meds from other people!!  We had no idea...we knew she abused them because every so often she has a new pain that requires oxy, but to find out she was buying them from others as well - stunned me. 


Honestly, I am able to breathe again.  I do feel now that court is over, she will stop taking her meds and go back to her old ways...we may still get an even better outcome.  I just know it kills me when the baby cries so badly when returning to her. 

[MixedBag]

old habits are good to keep up even after a signed court order.  The next round goes from signed order to present day.