Help if you can! My ex moved away 10 years ago and didn't leave to many clues as to were she went, I have since found out were abouts she might be but don't want to charge her with kidnapping . I just want to be able to see my daughter again. I have tried talking to the free lawyers at the court house and have gotten no were. I would also like to get my name placed on her birth Cert.because back when she was born the mother my ex wanted to be able to get more money from the government and so I never placed my name on the BC and my daughter has her mother last name that is until she married earlier this year. Any help would be great!

You need a lawyer. You made a big mistake by not putting your name on the because. This would mean you aren't the legal father. If so, you have no rights to the child.

I'm assuming that no court ordered custody or visitation was ever established. So even if you wanted to charge her with kidnapping you can't because there are no grounds for it.

You need a lawyer to help you prepare a petition to establish paternity and get visitation rights. If you do that, it is likely, especially if she has benn getting government assisitance, that you will have to pay back and ongoing child support.

P.S. This is a legal issue, not a child rearing issue so I moved it from the Children forum.

Also when you go to file paperwork your going to need to go where the child and ex are for court. So if they are in a different state then you currently are then that's where the proceedings are going to be. Get prepared and keep in mind you're a stranger so you will have to go slow with this. Don't expect any custody changes until you have been around for awhile and things can be adjusted. It might just start with introductions and phone calls. Then graduate further.