I am a 45 yo single father from Illinois who has busted my butt every which way to provide a good life for my 17 yo son with whom I have had custody since just before he entered preschool (8/96). In a nutshell,I guess I am an overprotective parent who has tried to keep my son from traveling down the same wrong roads I took.
Now to my problem,and please bear with me,I am trying to shorten this as much as I can
My sons mother and I never married.Took me a lot of pleading and yes a bit of blackmail just to get my name on birth cerificate.In 1996 my boys mother basically said go ahead you take him,I'm to old to be raising another child.So I did,without any protest what so ever.I didn't at the time even ask for child support.That came later when I discovered his mothers boyfriend had hit my son.I went after her for child support,she immediately quit her job ,figuring she wouldn't have to pay.Well the judge awarded me $20 a week.. No big deal to me.She decided she wasn't even going to pay that.Well the court intervened and garnished her pay for $25 a week.Over the years I was referred to by his mother as "the pig".Plus many other things that aren't pertinet at this time.
Well here we are 17+ years later.^ months ago my son gets mad at me.. You know the things that set kids off.. Why do I need to know who he hangs with?Where are you going? What are you going to be doing?Who's driving? Why are your grades so bad?etc.(horrible dad I am).And after trying to reason with him and treat him like the adult he wanted to be treated like.He went to spring break,and never came back.Oh yeah I took his cell phone away to,because I overheard him trying to buy weed... Like I said,he never came home from his mothers.Apparently she called him off school.. A couple days later I come to find out,she enrolled him in school near where she lived.Never once telling me and they won't answer my phone calls.So that's a brief history.Now I shall pose a few questions.
By the way we never have been to custody court,and secondly she enrolled him in school saying she has my last name and without proper identification

1. what kind of child support am I looking at having to pay?If any
2. do I have any legal recourse against her?falsifying documents?
3.Do I have any legals issues with the school?
4. do I agree to just let him go and watch him makke a gargantuan mistake? (he's going from a small farm town school to a giant inner city public school)

I apologize if I rambled on here,I'm extremely emotional about all this,I love my son no matter what happens,It just breaks my heart that he is doing this.I can't eat,I can't sleep,and the big guy has been crying on and off for a week.I hope someone can help me

thank you for your time

1. what kind of child support am I looking at having to pay?If any
2. do I have any legal recourse against her?falsifying documents?
3.Do I have any legals issues with the school?
4. do i agree to just let him go and watch him makke a gargantuan mistake? (he's going from a small farm town school to a giant inner city public school)
thank you for your time


Child support is based on your income (and in some States, the income of the other parent) according to State law. Some are a straight percentage, some States use a formula. Would need more info to know.

What documents did she falsify? If she's his mother and can prove it (I would assume she has a copy of his birth certificate or has obtained one), what did she falsify?

If there is no Court ordered custody she has the same rights to your son that you have. It would appear you allowed him to "visit" with his mother. I see no indication that he ran away to her house.

I don't see any legal issues with the school - his mother apparently came in with his birth certificate, there is nothing that says he can't live with her, she enrolled him. The school does not have to check with you.

As far as what you should do, that's a relationship question, a "raising a child" question, not a legal question. That being said - he's 17. He'll probably be emancipated and out of high school in a year. Is it worth dragging him back (and spending time and money in Court), possibly winning, possibly losing, and then having him pack up all over again and leave when he's "legal"?

Who has documented court approved custody at this time and what does that custody order say ?