Any Legal help???

[catgoturtongue5]

So I don't know what to do with trying to figure out custody issues between Lana's dad and I. I need someone knowledgeable in law or even a lawyer to help me out. The problem is, I have no money so I don't know what to do. How do I win back my daughter? How can I end all this drama of being so stressed out and depressed over this issue?

Comments

[amberskyfire]

The best thing to do is find a way to get a lawyer, of course. Some take payments. If you absolutely can't do that, then the next step is for the two of you to find a way to agree on custody. At 7 months, the father will not get custody unless the mother gives the baby to him to raise or the mother is unable to care for the baby herself. As long as you will be able to work and care for the baby, they will grant you custody. Dad will get joint custody, though.

Child support is usually 20% of the father's income, so plan on getting that. With joint custody, the other parent usually gets the child on Wednesdays and every other weekend and every other holiday. With a baby that young, they may be able to make an exception so that you can have the baby in the evenings during those days, but dad can have her all day long. Probably at this point it would be best for him to have her all during the day on the days that he has off of work, but you get her back in the evenings.

You won't be able to keep your baby and move in with your parents, though. The parent with the child cannot leave the state. It's against the law for you to do so. Do you think you can get the dad to move to New York as well? I'm not sure how cooperative you guys are right now.

To prepare for the worst case scenario, find a job now and make sure you have some way to support her. They will not take your daughter away from you if you have some way of supporting her since you are the mother. There are all kinds of jobs you can do with a baby if you have to. My mother used to clean houses. She just took my baby brother with her and set him in a playpen while she worked. You could also carry her in a mei tai on your back. Housecleaning jobs pay really well, especially if you are bonded and run the business yourself. I do graphic design from home and write.

Most importantly, try to always at least be civil and cooperative with your ex. Even if you are not together anymore, you still have a sort of relationship for as long as your daughter lives. You never really do get to break off the relationship entirely. Believe me, things will always go much better for the three of you if you two work really hard to compromise.

Good luck!