Ask Me Help Desk - How do I relinquish my parental rights in Florida

I am current on my Child support, with a credit for the last three years.My ex wife hasn't sent my daughter for my last 3 scheduled visits. It has been over a year since I have seen my 11 year old daughter.I can't get my ex to email me current photos of my child, I haven't gotten any info on my child since October 09.
I have tried to contact the school to get in touch with the teachers and have had to battle that because my ex has interviened and caused many obstackles for me.
My daughter called my last July(this was the last phone call I had with my daughter) & said she didn't want to come visit me any more.(to my knowledge.there is no reason for this,)
I call her phone and have to leave a message , because my calls are never answered.
Every attempt for me to be part of my daughter's life is denied by her mother.
I am wondering what is the likelihood that I can petition the Florida courts and willingly give up my rights and be done with this whole thing and be successful at it?
I know my ex-wife was remarried, however last I heard they were separated. I have no clue if there is a man in her life to adopt her. Does that even matter given the fact my daughter has told me she wants no part of me any longer?

First, please pay attention to the sticky notes at the top of this and other forums. They generally contain answers to frequently asked questions.

Reading the one on signing over rights would have told you, that you cannot just voluntarily give up your rights.

Why haven't you taken your ex to court for not abiding by your visitation schedule. While she can't force the child to go with you, she has to make her available or face contempt of court charges.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottGem

First, please pay attention to the sticky notes at the top of this and other forums. They generally contain answers to frequently asked questions.

Reading the one on signing over rights would have told you, that you cannot just voluntarily give up your rights.

Why haven't you taken your ex to court for not abiding by your visitation schedule. While she can't force the child to go with you, she has to make her available or face contempt of court charges.

I haven't taken her back into court because #1 I do not live in Florida and it will require me to take off time from work and fly there and then have to go back to court when the hearing is granted. I do not have the money for that, I am have no knowledge of the law and I do not have the money to hire a lawyer either.and #2 when I told her she was in contempt she laughs and tells me her lawyer has told her she hasn't done anything to be in contempt for.
She can't force the child, & I can't make her get on a plane from here... so what do I do?
I am legally allowed my visits , however she won't get on a plane and my Ex won't take her to the airport... where is my right to enforce the court order?
I have to get on a plane , fly to Florida & get the police involved & force my visitation and put my daughter on a plane & drag her to my home for my visit. That isn't good for anyone... but the fact that I can't get photos, phone calls, etc... makes me want to just be done. Why am I forced to pay Child support on a child I can't have in my life? Where are my rights as a parent who wants to be involved, and can't?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie D

Why am I forced to pay Child support on a child I can't have in my life?

Because that's the way the law works. Child support and visitation are treated separately.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie D

where are my rights as a parent who wants to be involved, and can't?

I've told you were your rights are. That you believe you can't afford to get them enforced is a decision you have made. There are a number of things you could do like ask the court to appoint a Guardian Ad Liteum (GAL) for the child to look out for her interests. Maybe she finds that the mother has alienated your daughter. Giving you fuel for the court.

The fact of the matter is, since the mother has an attorney you can't afford to not have one. An attorney can detail all your rights and how to enforce them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottGem

Because that's the way the law works. Child support and visitation are treated separately.

I've told you were your rights are. That you beleive you can't afford to get them enforced is a decision you have made. There are a number of things you could do like ask the court to appoint a Guardian Ad Liteum (GAL) for the child to look out for her interests. Maybe she finds that the mother has alienated your daughter. Giving you fuel for the court.

The fact of the matter is, since the mother has an attorney you can't afford to not have one. An attorney can detail all your rights and how to enforce them.

You say"That you beleive you can't afford to get them enforced is a decision you have made." I know this to be the case
It is not by my choice. It is the way of the current economy. I had a nice house with a great job, and now I have neither... I made $25,000.00 last year I support myself & my wife, who has great illnesses and is unable to do much for herself we have people who come and care for her.I AM THE SOLE PROVIDER.
My auto is over 15 years old. I no longer own a home and I have zero assets so I can not liquidate. I pay over $500.00 in CS and my rights of joint coustdy have been infringed upon. I have the legal right to have current info on my child, however I am unable to get this info because my Ex won't give it to me.Or she will block my efforts of getting it. And because she is out of state it is even more difficult for me
In your world maybe you can say that money doesn't matter, but when you don't have it it matters. If I filed the papers myself, they still won't do anything without the fees. & I do not have the money for the fees. We barely have money for medicines and food. I am doing my very best to keep what I do have .It's not that I spend my money on other things, I don't have it period to spend.
I am also now fighting the fact that for some unknown reason my child wants nothing to do with me. So If I am not able to use the rights I have then why isn't there something that can be done to aide me? If I don't pay CS then I am in trouble & the courts come after me, & child support enforcement will aide my ex in this event.
Why does nothing help or protect me & my rights?Why don't the courts go after her for preventing my visits?or for not giving me a current picture of my daughter?
I have no money to pay a lawyer I literally have $5.00 to my name right now. I do not have luxuary items, I can't tell you the last time I was out to eat at a restaurant, or to see a movie.
Why do I have to pay(a lawyer) to get what I should have. I have a court order that says I can have these things, but I am the one who has to pay to get them enforced.
If I want a GAL I have to petition the courts for one... again this costs money. The law doesn't recognize that I too should be able to get aide in enforcing my rights.because I am the non cusotial parent I must pay. My ex makes significantly more than I do. She is the one not honoring the court order, why must I pay to make her ? This is where I am at . I understand now that my rights are different than Child support. But honestly, if all I am good for to them is my money how is that in my daughters' best interest?

I will be rude, your "rights" were only infringed upon because you moved, if you had stayed in FL then you could be seeing the child, it was your choice no one else's, Had it been the mother wanting to move you could have stopped her from moving to keep seeing the child.

Child support is based on basically a percent of our income, if you have not recently had the amount reviewed you may get a reduction depending on the rules of payment.

You need an attorney because basically you moved, and that changes the way you can see the child, including taking the child out of state. You need to modify the child custody agreement with child visitation changed to effect your new living status.

And if she refuses to allow you to see the child, you do have rights, you take her back to court to order her again and at some point if she does not, they may fine her.

So you do the same as she would, if you did not pay, she could and would take you back to court, if she does not do what she is suppose to, you take her back to court.

So it is just your refusal to go back to court and hire an attorney that is the problem

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

I will be rude, your "rights" were only infringed upon because you moved, if you had stayed in FL then you could be seeing the child, it was your choice no one elses, Had it been the mother wanting to move you could have stoped her from moving to keep seeing the child.

Child support is based on basicly a percent of our income, if you have not recently had the amount reviewed you may get a reduction depending on the rules of payment.

You need an attorney because basicly you moved, and that changes the way you can see the child, including taking the child out of state. You need to modify the child custody agreement with child visitation changed to effect your new living status.

And if she refuses to allow you to see the child, you do have rights, you take her back to court to order her again and at some point if she does not, they may fine her.

So you do the same as she would, if you did not pay, she could and would take you back to court, if she does not do what she is suppose to, you take her back to court.

So it is just your refusal to go back to court and hire an attorney that is the problem

Now maybe this is where I need to add that we both lived in FLA. I fought her intended move to NC.
I lost.
The judge let her go cause she claimed it to be finanicial better for the child, (her husband was in the army stationed in NC)
After that happened there was a court order that changed my visitation. It was then that I moved out of the state to get a job, as the Florida economy eliminated my job, & I lost my home.
I moved to be closer to my wife's family so they could help us out.
My ex-wife then moved back to Fla. And did not notify me until I found out in June.I was talking to my daughter on the phone & I asked her what she was doing, as to make small talk, and my daughter lied to me.Later she confessed to me that her mom made her tell me lies.I still to this date have no idea how long they were back in the state. And the courts have not changed our order. They only have a change of address
On file for her. That's it. So if she wants to up & move to another state she can, & I will never know it! Because she will not even send me a picture of my child or call, email nothing...
I guess short of robbing a bank I have no way of doing this, as every bit of advice I get is get a lawyer you need money... And that is just something I do not have. Not that I don't want to , not that I moved away, but that my every attempt to be part of my daughter's life has to be about money. I have no ability to pay... and there is no one that will help me. So yeah I have rights if I have money.
Thanks for the opinions, I do appreciate your feed back, whether I agree or not has no impact.
Unfortunately for me I am a good guy who has done nothing that everyone thinks... I am just that one guy who no matter what is screwed because I am poor.