Desperate for Visitation Rights - Advise

[pleasehelp]

> I am writing in hopes that you can advise us with a difficult situation.
>
> My husband used to be a traveling musician. He was a crack addict.
> Single. Solely responsible to the care of his terminally ill father.
> He spent a night with a women which ultimately ended in her getting
> pregnant. At the time he lived in Alaska and she lived in FL. She
> called him and told him she was pregnant and he told her he was not in
> any position to be a father. He had no money. He was sick with
> addiction. He & this woman were not in a relationship of any kind. It was one night.
> But she told him he didn't have a choice and she had the baby. In the
> throws of his addiction she took him to court for child support and
> won a judgment of back support for $30,000, in addition to regular
> monthly support. His paychecks are garnished and he pays almost $800 a month.
>
> He has worked very hard to clean up his life. He entered rehab, and
> has been clean and sober for over 5 years. Though there is a support
> order in place, there has never been any kind of visitation order in
> place. He lives in Nashville, TN. The mother lives in Orlando, FL.
> Until 2 years ago they had open communication. He was able to see
> his daughter whenever he wanted. She called him every day and sent
> pictures and cards to him on a constant basis. They were able to have an open
> and loving unhampered relationship until he told the child's mother
> that he was not in love with her and they would never marry. Since
> that time, he has married someone and has /extremely limited/ and always controlled contact with his daughter.
>
> He calls constantly, sometimes several times a day, and gets no return
> calls for several weeks at a time, if at all, when he does speak to
> her on the phone its always on speaker phone with the child's mothers
> interference. The mother has blocked every visitation attempt in the
> past year and a half. And now has the daughter (7 Yrs Old) saying very
> hurtful things. My husband is beside himself, wanting a relationship,
> which he has always been able to have, with his daughter. The child's
> mother enforced her rights by taking him to court for support and is
> refusing his rights to any kind of visitation. But as of 2 years ago
> was begging him to marry her and sending him notes and cards that he
> is the best daddy! He has tried to reason with her.. He has also sent
> emails and texts with no response from her.
>
> We don't have any money to hire a lawyer to open family law case. My
> husband has written a letter to the clerk of the court in FL asking
> for a package of information on his visitation rights. He is not
> interested in fighting for custody, just the right to be able to speak
> and visit with his daughter without the mother's interference.
>
> Can you please advise us as to what to do? We feel trapped and helpless....
>
> Thank You!
>

[MixedBag]

Dad needs to figure out a way to file for parenting time in the Orlando court.

Without that -- well, he already knows what can and will happen.

SAVE what he has collected to show that at one time, there was a good relationship with the daughter.

And be prepared for the other end -- the child support subject.

[ocean]

He can call that court in Orlando and ask if they accept mail petitions. Ask for the paperwork for custody with a visitation/parenting plan. You will then fill it out, and send it back. Here it is free to do, some states charge a fee. You will have her served the papers to show up at court. He will have to go to orlando to court and ask for a parenting plan in writing as the mother is not allowing contact at this time.

Look on this site and others for a long distance parenting plan. He should be getting most of the school vacations and most of the summer, splitting major holidays every other year. You can ask for a half way point for driving too.