UNBELIEVABLE TURN OF EVENTS!

[tharper001]

There has been an unbelievable turn of events with our custody battle.  As a brief update... my husband has been trying to get custody of his now 12-year old daughter since April 2003.  The mother has walked out of a deposition, the child was away from the father since June 20th of this year, the mother didn't show up for court, the mother has refused to take the psychological evaluation that was court ordered by a Judge... not just a General Master.  The mother also pulled the child out of school AGAIN because the child got in a fight and got suspended and the mother put her on a home schooling program -- without notifying the father!  The mother has ignored court ordered visitation, the mother has ignored court ordered telephone calls, etc., etc.   AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.  The father has always had shared parental responsibility for this child.  The latest -- the mother had until this past Friday to go to her first evaluation meeting (which was an extension from the initial date of 10/25/04) or face 60 days in jail.  She didn't go!

Comes Monday... around 3:00 pm in the afternoon, my husband gets a nasty phone call from the mother saying to drop whatever he is doing and come and pick up the child.  The father refused and said absolutely not and hung up (the mother was cussing and screaming, etc... he doesn't have to take that).  After another several phone calls and some nasty messages, he called her back and told her that if she wanted him to pick up his daughter, then she would drive to his attorney's office with the child and she was going to sign papers.  AND SHE DID!  Happy, happy day!  She lives in another county about 2 hours away from us... and she ended up driving to his attorney's office where we live (of course she showed up with yet another man that we have never seen -- and it's not the one that was listed on the school records as an emergency contact) and signed papers turning over primary custody to my husband!

Well, at least that part of the battle is over.  My husband is pressing for the evaluation to be completed or to have the mother serve jail time - he doesn't want anything to be left undone so that it can come back to haunt him.  He's also taking the child to the evaluator next week so that we can get her the counseling she so desparately needs.  The child is very smart, but the child cannot get along with other kids.  She severely lacks those social standards because she's been raised by her mother and her mother can't keep friends for any length of time.  And the child has always been taught that nothing is her fault and that she knows everything.  

The child did tell my husband that she does want to live with her mother and my husband, although very gently, told her that it was not going to be that way right now.  We'll let the counselor handle any other situations of this nature as well as advise us as to how to handle her education -- she's been continuing her home schooling for now...

It's been a long and very difficult battle... but I think things have finally turned in my husband's direction.  I guess paperwork will be done now... for now, that child isn't going anywhere!  She is staying with us until that paperwork is done.

And... haven't heard a peep from her mother.  Her mother hasn't even called her.  Also, her mother brought her to us with only the clothes on her back... what a witch!  Thank goodness for small miracles!

[backwardsbike]

Hooray for you and for the daughter.  Events such as what you descibe are what all of us pray for.  You are an inspiration!  Every time I think I cannot go another day someone here tells me something that keeps me going!  Thanks!

[MYSONSDAD]

'Good things come to those who wait'

Glad your covering your backside, THE CHILD WINS! Finally...

[joni]

How vindicating for you and your family!  The truth prevails.

Many of us have young children here, but I believe with time, this is going to happen with many custodial parents, their lives will implode due to their lies and manipulations.  Their children will come to hate them for it.

[kitten]

Absolutely, Joni.  And here we all are willing to clean up the mess because we are the ones who truly have the kids best interests at heart.  

[MixedBag]

I totally agree with you and we've seen that happen...