Child Custody for my Husband

[AggieMom]

I am a Step Mom and am very upset at how the court system and the Texas Attorney Generals office handles affairs concerning my step child who we have custody of.

Back in April of 2003 my step daughter was living with her mom.  Her mom took the child and her nephew on a 24 hour party spree where both chidren tested positive for Cocaine and Weed.  We received Temp Sole custody and her parents (maternal grandparents) received Temp Visitation with no child support orders or medical info was provided.  

My husband went to the Ag's office today in Texas and they said becasue the mother draws on SDI for a mental illness (we were unaware of this mental illness) she is not required by law to provide money or support for the child.  So basically the mom and the grandparents get to see the child based on a standard visitation order and not have to provide one cent for support and cause all the problems in the world fo my husband and I.  Like not swtiching weekends for weddings that the child has been asked to be in, not allowing the child to participate in sports or parties for friends on thier weekends, allientiating the child against me and her dad (the child does call me mommy on her on and I want to add that I have taken care of this chlid since she was 1 1/2 and have loved mostly every minute of it.  I am not going to lie).   So another words constant pain in the butts.

Is their anything that we can do to get child support or limit visitation?  If my husband ever missed a payment the AG'S office was all over him to pay it but wiill not touch her.  The mom currently has a child endangerment felony (June 2003), mental illness, and on probation for four years.  

Thanks,
Upset Aggie Mom

[Troubledmom]

The child is elligible for SSI benefits based on the mothers disability... contact your local social security office to find out what steps need to be taken to receive the child's portion of mothers benefits.

TM

[joni]

Congrats on getting custody, I envy you.  I wish our petition to the court would have worked like yours did.  Our request was ignored and denied.

Visitation has nothing to do with support.  You cannot limit visitation because you're not getting support.

If you want to limit visitation because of mental illness and child endangerment, that's another issue.  You'd have to prove it and ask for supervised visitations.