Child Custody, Parenting TimeAttorney Tricia Dwyer: Trusted, Confidential, Reliable, Prompt, Assertive, Super Care. In most of her family law cases, Attorney Dwyer is the only lawyer involved; she knows this is Your Family, Your Life. Attorney Tricia Dwyer has been rated 'Superb' and Perfect Reviews multiple years (Avvo).
Legal question: I share legal & physical custody with my ex-. Our divorce legal papers are really, long -- bunch of lawyer lingo. I just found out - late August!! - that she's unenrolled out daughter from her grade school & presumably enrolled her in school is area where she recently moved to. I don't want this to happen again. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Sounds very upsetting. A starting point question I'd ask you is how old the child is - big difference if this is a 16 y old vs. 10 y old. Based on what you wrote, it sounds entirely reasonable that you would want to take the lawful, proper action steps to avert any 'repeat of history'. If you are going to take the proper measures, I urge you do so asap, because one question in the mind of the judge/referee could be 'why is it right now that you're taking bringing this to my attention?'. I very much appreciate that you may well think the divorce/custody decree/order you have is, perhaps, unduly lengthy, and/or poorly/badly written; when I prepared proposed orders for a judge/referee, I aim to write as plain & clear as possible, & be succinct, & address all possible eventualities. if you are going to take action, I urge you be very careful that your legal paperwork, your 'Affidavit', is well written and detailed. Legal question: My ex told me I didn't return our son's watch, I thought I had. She then sent me the GPS!! I had no idea. Is it harassment? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: I do not know the full facts, but, as a broad and general principle, harassment means unwanted contact, and so one needs to communicate that clearly and succinctly to the other person, and best to do so in writing, get 'straight to the point' and then go about one's business. However, harassment may include prior (past) conduct. Legal question: I have a job in MN & pay child support. I just took a 2nd job with a Wisconsin employer, & MN child support has started taking a cut from my WI pay. Wrong? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER I'd need to know fuller details about this; for instance, is your issue that wages/pay is being wrongfully/improperly taken from you (or, are you just wondering whether child support payments can be taken from non-MN employers?). Do you owe arrears/arrearages? LEGAL QUESTION: My ex & I are court ordered to use My Family Wizard. My ex only opens the messages he wants to see. He's always been mean and wants to upset me. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. Excellent questions. There's a saying: We can't change another adult; we barely have a chance at changing ourselves! I'd suggest minimizing your contact with this person, as much as possible; you described the relationship as toxic and upsetting to your psyche. If I were assisting you, a starting point is reading the Order or Orders. My impression is that you would have many options and choices re. what you could decide to do (or not do). Legal question: My court Order doesn't say which parent drives. My ex- says I need to do it and is nasty. What's the law? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S REPLY: Hello. Excellent questions. My reply here is limited. If your court Order doesn't state 'who drives', then, just as you said, the matter is unclear, ambiguous. When I am helping a parent, I find out from my client whether the 2 parents 'get along' generally; if the parents have a history of discord, then, when I write a proposed court Order for the Judge/Referee, I write terms and wording that are as clear and specific and unambiguous as possible. For example, if the drive is somewhat of a distance and it's during city rush hour traffic hours, I may include a provision of a 15 minute window of time for the drop off of the kid/kids to happen, and, if the parents need to send the other a message, I'll specify whether it's text/email, etc., to be used. It's possible you need to have the court Order amended/modified/changed. Legal question: The custody order says 2 weeks vacation with the kids but nonconsecutive. My ex is saying that means she's doesn't count my normal time with our kids. Yikes. Help. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. I'm sorry you're having any sort of legal problem. If I were assisting you, I'd want to quickly read what's written in the present court Order, or Orders. Based on my many years of professional experience, there's a remote but very real chance one or more words or terms were poorly, or 'badly' drafted by the person or persons who wrote them. Just using common language, 'vacation' means a special time of rest or pleasure, and sometimes includes travel. 'One week' means 7 days'. 'Nonconsecutive' means not happening in a row (not 'back-to-back', not sequentially). Legal question: If there's a mediation about visitation, do I have the right to have a lawyer at my side? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: This is partial, not at all complete, reply.People, parents, have the right to be represented by an attorney. When custody, parenting time, or visitation is to be discussed, one, or both, parents may well want to be represented by an attorney. For instance, medication is a voluntary process, and it's hoped it can 'work', but one or both parents can 'opt out' of any mediation, and a parent may decide to halt a mediation that is underway. A key consideration is whether there is a dynamic between the parents of domestic violence or emotional abuse, 'power and control'. Another key consideration is whether one parent has any sort of mental health concern, such as Anxiety or PTSD, or has a personality disorder such as Narcissism, or even Sociopath/Psychopath (e.g., lies, cheats, no remorse, no regard for others, etc.) And one more key factor is alcoholism or drug use/abuse; it is 'normal' that a person who's in the recovery process may feel uncertain, unsure of oneself, 'shaky'. Legal question: I was ordered to have a chem' eval' 6 mos. ago but didn't get it done. Judge had ordered in patient. So I got the new 'eval', and it says out pt. and I did that. Ex now says I didn't do the Order and can't see the kids. I called a bunch of lawyers & got told the word motion. ?? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER:Hello. A caution to you: Always beware so called 'free advice' - it can be entirely wrong - Over the years, I've seen that, and so called 'online charities' (such as 'fathers' rights' charities) cause people awful problems, and loss of a lot of money. You wrote of a court Order; sometimes more than one Order may apply to a particular legal problem. As to Chemical Dependency/Abuse Assessments (CDA's), one done months ago may vary markedly from one done today, for many reasons. Based on what you stated, my impression is that you'd be wise to keep distance from the other parent - always demonstrate respect. Changing a court Order happens by the Court (Judge, Referee) changing the present Order or Orders. If you're low income or otherwise financially stressed, please call 211 and ask what legal resources are available for the county involved (and the county in which you reside, if the 2 are different).
MISCELLANEOUS LEGAL QUESTIONS & ATTORNEY DWYER'S ANSWERS: Legal question: I hired a lawyer and did something like a mediation; my ex- and I both signed a Parenting Plan, and so did my lawyer, and my ex- also signed some paper that said she doesn't have any lawyer. Now she seems to totally want out. Judge has had it for a month. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: I recommend that you email the lawyer you hired, so she/he replies in writing with the answers to your questions; you have the right to seek a formal second legal opinion, and, or terminated with the lawyer you have, or change lawyers. I don't know details of your personal situation but it may be highly time urgent that you get the answers to your questions pronto. LEGAL QUESTION: My ex & I are court ordered to use My Family Wizard. My ex only opens the messages he wants to see. He's always been mean and wants to upset me. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. Excellent questions. There's a saying: We can't change another adult; we barely have a chance at changing ourselves! I'd suggest minimizing your contact with this person, as much as possible; you described the relationship as toxic and upsetting to your psyche. If I were assisting you, a starting point is reading the Order or Orders. My impression is that you would have many options and choices re. what you could decide to do (or not do). Legal question: My court Order doesn't say which parent drives. My ex- says I need to do it and is nasty. What's the law? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S REPLY: Hello. Excellent questions. My reply here is limited. If your court Order doesn't state 'who drives', then, just as you said, the matter is unclear, ambiguous. When I am helping a parent, I find out from my client whether the 2 parents 'get along' generally; if the parents have a history of discord, then, when I write a proposed court Order for the Judge/Referee, I write terms and wording that are as clear and specific and unambiguous as possible. For example, if the drive is somewhat of a distance and it's during city rush hour traffic hours, I may include a provision of a 15 minute window of time for the drop off of the kid/kids to happen, and, if the parents need to send the other a message, I'll specify whether it's text/email, etc., to be used. It's possible you need to have the court Order amended/modified/changed. Legal question: The custody order says 2 weeks vacation with the kids but nonconsecutive. My ex is saying that means she's doesn't count my normal time with our kids. Yikes. Help. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. I'm sorry you're having any sort of legal problem. If I were assisting you, I'd want to quickly read what's written in the present court Order, or Orders. Based on my many years of professional experience, there's a remote but very real chance one or more words or terms were poorly, or 'badly' drafted by the person or persons who wrote them. Just using common language, 'vacation' means a special time of rest or pleasure, and sometimes includes travel. 'One week' means 7 days'. 'Nonconsecutive' means not happening in a row (not 'back-to-back', not sequentially). Legal question: I was ordered to have a chem' eval' 6 mos. ago but didn't get it done. Judge had ordered in patient. So I got the new 'eval', and it says out pt. and I did that. Ex now says I didn't do the Order and can't see the kids. I called a bunch of lawyers & got told the word motion. ?? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER:Hello. A caution to you: Always beware so called 'free advice' - it can be entirely wrong - Over the years, I've seen that, and so called 'online charities' (such as 'fathers' rights' charities) cause people awful problems, and loss of a lot of money. You wrote of a court Order; sometimes more than one Order may apply to a particular legal problem. As to Chemical Dependency/Abuse Assessments (CDA's), one done months ago may vary markedly from one done today, for many reasons. Based on what you stated, my impression is that you'd be wise to keep distance from the other parent - always demonstrate respect. Changing a court Order happens by the Court (Judge, Referee) changing the present Order or Orders. If you're low income or otherwise financially stressed, please call 211 and ask what legal resources are available for the county involved (and the county in which you reside, if the 2 are different). LEGAL QUESTION: Other parent has parenting time. Can I take my kids out of the state of MN for a little trip for a few days? If I can, is it ok I don't tell the father? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: The starting point is to read through the entire court Order; I've read many court Orders, and sometimes it will happen that more than one of the specific orders applies to the particular situation/problem. Legal question: A relative took my son to his father's home without my knowledge. What do I do? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: If this is a crisis situation, of course call the non emergency number for your local police/sheriff's dept. If this is some sort of legal problem that relates to 'legal paperwork', when I am helping a client, one starting point is reading that the court Order or Orders state. Legal question: Custody was set 4 yrs ago & is full 50-50. Ex says kids don't want to be with me. I've tried everything - asking the kids, saying do i need to show up with police?. What should I do? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. If I were helping you, one starting point is to read what the court Order, or Orders, states. You wrote of 'police'; it does not sound as tho' you and your ex are the sort to be able to talk with one another 'and get somewhere'. Each child is, of course, unique. A question in my mind is how old the kids are; for example, it's one thing to ask a 16 y old about their wants and needs, and markedly different to ask a 7 y old the same questions. If you have attorney help with this, I urge you be a good consumer of lawyer services and do your homework; each lawyer is a different person; ideally you should feel utmost trust and confidence in the lawyer you choose to help you. If I were helping you, I'd initially give you my legal advice, counsel and guidance about the situation, once in the Attorney-Client relationship with you. Take care. LEGAL QUESTION: My son needs therapy and the court Order says first mediate. Other parent won't. What now? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S REPLY: Hello. Excellent questions. You mentioned having attorney assistance, so know that it is possible for a family law attorney to assist you in a partial sort of way, or in a full way. When a family law lawyer helps you in a partial way, it may be by conferring with you, even coaching you and guiding you. It may be by what's known in the legal community as 'Limited Attorney Help'/'Limited Scope Lawyer Help'/'Limited Scope Legal Assistance'/'Unbundled Lawyer Help'/'Unbundled Family Lawyer Assistance' - multiple terms are used to describe the concept of a client having a lawyer help him/her in a limited sort of way. A family law/divorce/child custody lawyer possibly can help you in a 'pay as you go' manner. If you have stressed personal finances, a lawyer may help you with reduced fee. I urge you to be a good consumer of lawyer help, do your homework - google, send emails, make phone calls. The MN State Bar Association has a search tool you may use. Another point is that 'if/when' you should have to go before a Judge or Court Referee about this matter, you'll be letting them know, in advance, that you asked and the other parent said 'no' (or ignored you....). Also, know that some parenting concerns about our kids are extremely, extremely time urgent, emergency ones, for instance, if the child poses danger of harm to others or self, or both - some issues are 'quasi-emergencies'. Thank you for the excellent questions. LEGAL QUESTION: Bio mom & I make a parenting contract 3 months ago. She now wants changes put in writing. She says my mother interferes whatever that means. I cringe at the word lawyer or lawyers. What's best to do? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER:Hello. Fuller detail would need to be known. I am all for peaceful, low key resolution, lowering 'the heat' not escalating it; and I strongly empathize with your desire to 'stay away from lawyers' :-) That said, your wrote of a 'contract' - private? a court Order? How did that 'contract' come to be - mom and dad? lawyer? lawyers? 'mediation'? 'mediator'? 'mediators'? 'collaborative law'? As to lawyers: In the event you choose lawyer help with this - or any other legal problem - I urge you be a good consumer - make phone calls, send emails - always remember lawyers are human beings & I guarantee you that each and every lawyer is different from the next! LEGAL QUESTION: My ex pays me $746 per month child support for our 18 y old and 11 y old. She told me it's half that now because our eldest turned age 18. Truth?TTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. A starting point is reading the child support Order itself. It is good you appear to know that your ex shouldn't be the one you turn to for legal advice. Legal question: I've decided to divorce & we've got 4 little children. We stopped paying the mtg. He won't agree. I don't qualify for any charity. I don't want to leave the home. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. This is an incomplete answer - if I were helping you, I'd talk with you, ask you various questions, to learn fuller facts and details. One question in my mind is how old these little kids are. Another question in my mind is whether you think you and your spouse will reach an agreement. Be aware, please, that there is not 'one way to divorce' - a subset of divorcing people have full agreement. I also wonder if you have tension in your home. I wonder if there's any history of domestic violence or emotional abuse. You wrote you'd checked into 'charity' sort of help, and I'd ask you some questions about that-who you've contacted, and over what time frame. I expect that I might talk with you about you having limited, or highly limited lawyer help, and reduced fee for financial hardship. I might describe to you what the terms 'unbundled lawyer'/'limited scope lawyer' mean. I'd ask you about your family finances-you mentioned not paying the mortgage. Take care - I hope you and your kids enjoy your new life. LEGAL QUESTION: Judge has evidentiary custody trial set for 4 wks. from now. I'm trying to get a lawyer & was advised I need more time. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: This is a partial reply, because a full reply could easily take hours :-) First: If you are going to have attorney help now, I urge you make phone calls pronto, talk to as many lawyers as possible, and choose one att'y you feel you can trust. How many calls? As many as it takes! You are in the greater Twin Cities, 100s upon 100s of lawyers. Some of us will provide reduced fee if you have financial hardship. Second: You 'were advised'? Always, always be wary of any and all so called 'free advice'. When I help people, for YOUR protection & best interest (and mine), always, at least a very brief, written agreement in place & we are in the Attorney-Client relationship, & I give legal advice on which my Client can rely. Third: Look at your own legal papers. For an 'evidentiary hearing/trial', unless mistake happened, the Judge/Court Referee would have made a written court Order that states specific deadlines (dates), and that Order will be very, very clear & specific. LEGAL QUESTION: My ex wife is trying to stop joint custody. She's now lied and said I'm endangering our daughter for keeping her home one day. I kept her home because a bully boy slap @ed her at school & I have a principal appointment first.ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. Based on what you described, it sounds as though you'll have plenty of proof of the truth. LEGAL QUESTION: The mom of our kids has custody. A paper says she can make important medical decisions herself, no input from me. What about medical records-she won't give me those? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. Excellent questions. I am not sure from what paper you are reading. It does sound as though you have a court Order - one or more court Orders - that discuss custody, parenting time, etc.; if so, please go to the end of that legal paperwork and you should see a legal paper that is called 'APPENDIX A'. That paper will specifically address the matter of child medical records. LEGAL QUESTION: I hired a lawyer for a Motion to Change Custody. The judge ruled on two things, & ordered us to go to mediation for six undecided major problems. She's stalling, canceling, imo scamming. Eight whole months now. What to do. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. Excellent questions! The question is 'what is reasonable'. Even if none of the specific differences/issues between the two of you are not urgent ones, eight mos. is not reasonable. If you aren't proactive to correct a possible 'wrongdoing', 'stalling' (by the other party) could go on even up to the time your kid/kids are grownups. Yes, we have COVID-19, flu and RSVirus, but most - perhaps nearly all - mediation is done remotely (eg, Zoom) at this time, not in person. There are 100s upon 100s upon 100s of 'mediators'. I myself am a credentialed child custody mediator, as well as child custody attorney. General tips: When you are choosing a mediator know they are NOT AT ALL the same'!! There are least 4 major types of 'mediation' types/styles/forms; I myself was trained in a highly respectful type of mediation known as Transformative Mediation or Real Mediation. I urge you have all mediators you are considering email you current resumes/bios', and current detailed statements describing real, actual mediations in which they have participated, date by date. Also remember every mediator is a human being - all of us have biases, some are known as 'Implicit Biases' - some of us are far more aware of biases and prejudices human beings to which each of us is subject than others. I urge DO be a good consumer and make phone calls, etc., do the legwork involved in knowing exactly who it is you've chosen to help you. And always beware so called free advice. Legal question: What does a CPS lawyer do? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: CPS stands for Child Protective Services; every county in Minnesota has a CPA division. CPS may 'open an investigation'. A parent may contact me and ask me to help them privately. Parents can have worry and fear about talking with CPS, or even cooperating with them. Police, including detectives, may knock on their door. In some cases, a CPS Case Worker has been assigned and she/he will want my client to come to the local police office and sit down to talk. My work is to help and protect my parent-client. I provide reduced fee for a parent has a financial hardship, and there's usually one or more ways to curb and contain legal costs. A 'CHIPS' (Child In Need of Protective Services) is not common, and 'TPR' (Termination of Parental Rights) is not common. Excellent question. Legal question: My husband violated probation & judge has ordered him to do 30 days in jail. My husband has a child custody Order & the mom told him she's not bringing the kids to me during his parenting time while he's in jail. Not fair or right? ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. In the vast majority of situations, when a father and a mother have a child custody/parenting time court Order, it's a court Order that pertains to the two of them. Legal question: My 10 y old txtd me she doesn't want to be with her dad & is thinking of killing herself, suicide. My lawyer told me he's not comfortable asking to stop 50 50 & give me sole custody & he's withdrawing. Help. Attorney Tricia Dwyer's answer: Hello. Thank you. You are not alone, and neither is your beloved child, and your other loved ones. I've had specialized training, and special experience in mental health and illness including suicide ideation (thinking about committing suicide). First things first. Call 911 if there's worry or fear of imminent danger of bodily harm or death. Another option is getting the child to an emergency room. As to somewhat lesser degrees of worry and fear, typically med' ins' cards have a 24 hr. nurse/other health care providers line to phone. Health care providers include child psychiatry, child mental health, primary care. Presumably the child's in school, so there's teachers, and often school counselors and social worker/psychologist sorts of staff. As to you choosing a replacement attorney, I recommend you make many phone calls, send out emails, in choosing - be a good consumer of attorney legal services. Each and every att'y is different from any other; each unique. Based on what you wrote, I would deem the situation a legal emergency, as well as a health care emergency. Excellent your child is open and feels safe to share with you. Of course have good help now - for all of you. Legal question: I am single mom of a 4 y old. The bio' dad smokes cigs' & I think he's a marijuana dealer. Bio' dad told me he's going to get custody; what's truth? Attorney Tricia Dwyer's answer: Hello. General principles are that unmarried/single mothers, by law, are Mom/parent of a child born to them; in other words, a single mom who gives birth does not have to 'prove' she's the mom. However, unmarried men's legal rights are not 'automatic' or 'presumed', but, rather, are determined through law. When custody and parenting time, or visitation (supervised or unsupervised), is in issue the question is always about what is best for this child, i.e., what serves the best interest of this tot/baby/kid. Based on what you described, it sounds as though it is not helpful to YOU to be communicating with this person now; YOU are single parent, single mom, and it's best for YOU and your kid/kids that you have as low stress a daily life as possible. I suggest you consider having formal legal advice from an attorney whom you choose - if I were helping you, I'd learn fuller facts of the situation from you, and then, just as I'd want if I asked you to help me, I'd tell you straight up what seems best for you and your family. In my own work I will provide reduced fee for need. Another option is you 'wait and see', but IMO that's not the best option of the two. Take care! LEGAL QUESTION: I live alone with my 13 month old. The dad is in Florida; the dad has seen our child for literally maybe 7 minutes, and I paid for me to fly down there and stay in a hotel. He wants me to fly to meet his parents next, in Virginia. No child support. ?ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: Hello. I hope you have some help with this. You stated you're a single parent of a very young toddler. It's very important that you have your life stress kept as low as possible - being a parent is an incredibly time consuming and stressful task. It sounds as though it's possible you're the sort of person who tries to 'take care of everyone' - just a thought which you should of course disregard if incorrect. You also wrote of you paying many items out of your own pocket; if I were assisting you, I'd talk more about that with you. I feel utmost compassion for you; you are tenderly caring for your child single handedly. I absolutely support you in setting down rules onto paper; from what you described, if I were helping you, I'd do my utmost to be clear, plain and unambiguous and protect you and your baby. Take care.
Attorney Tricia Dwyer's answer: If I were to help you, I'd need to know fuller detail. For instance, is this some sort of restraining order action such as harassment or an OFP (Order for Protection petition)? If it's what's known as a 'motion', one first step is that I'd review the existing legal documents. Legal question: My ex won't share custody until our toddler turns age 4. Can I take my child to vacation in another state? Attorney Tricia Dwyer's answer: You seem to be stating there was a divorce, and a legal paper called a divorce decree; that decree is a court order (if not, it sounds as though otherwise there's a child custody order in place). If I were helping you, one starting point may be reviewing the divorce decree itself, because sometimes specific words about the child going out of the state of MN are included. Because you raise the question, you may have some special worries or concerns about it, so, if appropriate, of course please carefully choose one attorney you feel you can trust and have confidential legal advice. LEGAL QUESTION: I'm divorced & ugly custody battle. For some reason judge won't let me be with the kids now!. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER: More detail would need to be known. Perhaps what has happened is that an 'Ex Parte' (Latin, means 'one-side', or 'one-party') decision has been made; if so, look on the legal paperwork for a court date/time, because a hearing ought to be scheduled, to take place asap. Note: Often court takes place over Zoom at this time (COVID-19, flu, MRVirus), but not always. I definitely urge you to consider having lawyer help right away. A subset of private lawyers may provide reduced fee if there's financial hardship. Always remember each and every lawyer is different from the next. Another point to remember is that people tend to gravitate toward people 'like them'; in other words, concerns about custody of kids does not have to be war fyi ('battle'). Be a good consumer of lawyer services; ideally you want to feel utmost safety and trust with the one you choose to help you. Always beware so called 'free advice', too. LEGAL QUESTION: I've had a private agreement for 4 years with my ex. He's supposed to pay 1/2 the sports costs but he doesn't, and he usually no shows! He'll skip church and special school and church activities. Help. ATTORNEY TRICIA DWYER'S ANSWER:If it's any comfort, the specific issues you named are ones that are a part of my work as a family law/custody/divorce lawyer, and mediator. I offer you compassion. You wrote that all's private 'agreement'. If you should begin legal paperwork with the court about this, no lawyer can tell you exactly what will be determined or decided; each and every case is unique. And judges and court referees are given great discretion to discern what will serve the best interest of each child. A few general tips: I suggest you divide the problems into 2 parts, one part 'money matters', and the other part custody and what happens during parenting time. If I were helping you, I'd talk with you to get an idea of what the core issues actually are, for instance, power and control?, anger about the past?, jealousy?, passive-aggression - gaslighting?. Is one unreasonable? Any third parties, such as meddling grandparent, BF/GF, etc.? My own approach when helping a parent such as you is that I will tell you straight up what my impression is - just as if I came to you and asked you to help me, I'd want you to tell me straight what you thought. I'd tell you what I thought seemed best to do, for the situation. If I were to help you, I do my best to de-escalate, not worsen matters. If you choose to have lawyer help at this time, you may contact local legal aid if you're indigent/low income/poor. 211 is the United Way and if you tell them your zip code they ought to tell you of any special legal assistance sorts of programs for your area. In my work I can provide reduced fee to people who have financial stress, and I very much like to help my clients in limited ways that curb and contain any lawyer expense. Take care. Legal question: What happens if a child support case has started & a parent's gotten charged with felony child abuse? Attorney Tricia Dwyer's answer: If I were helping you, fuller details would need to be known to give you general guidance - who has the kid/kids? who's the petitioner? is the child abuse about the kid/kids in the child support case? etc., etc. |
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