I live in Arizona and I have a daughter who is now 3. The father left a month after I found out I was pregnant, deleted profiles, etc. every time I tried contacting him about it. Even when I told him about her complications at birth. I met him again last September, my daughter met him, and he still never showed any interest. It's been a year and he still never asked how she was, what she been through, doesn't know anything about her. We have court for paternity and child support in August. He told me he won't ask for anything like visitations or anything, and I want it to be that way. We both have our lives (him with his wife&kids) and me with my girl. There is nothing to show I'm unfit or that I'm not a good SINGLE parent, but I know courts try and encourage visits and stuff to BOTH parents. If he doesn't ask or speak up when I go in and ask if I can get sole custody will they bring it up or no? I know I will look like the bad guy for not wanting visitations, but for 3years he's done nothing but try and avoid her, still is. He's skitzo-effective, told me he doesn't take pills, talked about suicide in September when I met him, and can hardly take care of the kids he has now with his wife. I have an opportunity at a great college in WA and with visitations rights (as much as I don't agree with this) I was told by people I need to ask a judge if I can move. To me, that's not right. I don't want our lives to be bothered, stopped because I had to file for child support when I don't even want it. I just want things how they were.

Please, if you can give me any advice. I just want to continue raising my baby girl around an environment she's used to and loves. NOBODY knows her better than me and I just don't want everything to go downhill with my school/better future for us because of this.

Just want to know how I can get sole custody and him having no rights/visits.

The best is for your and his attorney to have a child custody and child visit and child support plan all spelled out and agreed to, you merely present this already signed by both parties for the judge to sign.

Remember that if he does not get visits now, he can of course always come back in a year, ( maybe 3) or 5 or so on years and ask for the visitation to be modified if he has a change in heart. So just because it is signed in August does not mean it will always be that way.

You have asked for child support. It's up to the Judge to determine if the father can see the child. I see no reason the judge would not grant visitation. He is the father. It would be up to the father if he wishes to have any contact with his child. I would not be too concerned if the judge does grant the visititation seeing as how the father shows no interest whatsoever now, what makes you think he'll give a crap in the future and actually see her?

Sounds like you do not have an attorney. If I were you I'd at least consult with an attorney to get all the answers from your questions properly answered. The internet is great, but seeing that you want to do this on your own you need to be careful to listen to the proper advice and not just what other people are saying will happen, etc..

The thing is, he told me just two days ago he doesn't want to waist his time trying to see her when he has his own **** to take care of. Although, he has such a hatred towards me, I'm afraid he'd do it out of spite. He lives 3hrs away, has no way of coming to me more than maybe twice a month. I think that'd be too much on a child her age to see him maybe twice a year.

I will see if I can talk to someone for free just to see what my chances are.

And I never asked for child support. Never wanted it. I was on TANF and they made me apply. And so I have to follow through with it even now, afterwards.

I asked a question similar to this.

I live in Arizona and having to go to court for paternity testing on my kids father. If I get sole custody but he gets visitations and lives 3hrs away, can never come to where I am more than maybe twice a year, and I can't go there, can I do something to stop it all together? Twice a year, on a child that is 3, I think would just be upsetting on her. Also, if he doesn't see her when the judge says he can, ever, can I eventually have the visits removed all together?

In Arizona, during a paternity/child support hearing, is visitation rights discussed or does the non-custodial parent have to speak up and ask/petition for them? Trying to prepare myself for everything that is going to go on because the father wants nothing to do with the child, and says he isn't going to ask, but wondering if the court is going to try and make or encourage it. Wondering if it's really just child support and paternity.

I've merged all your threads. Please don't start new threads over the same issue. If you have followups, post an ANSWER to your thread.

Child Support and visitation are generally considered separate issues. So if no one brings up custody and visitation during a support hearing, its unlikely to be mentioned or ruled on by the court.