I have been divorced 6 years, have joint custody of 2 children 12 and 6, daughter and son. The son only lived with the Dad for 3 months of his life. Due to a complaint from one of my neighbors to DCF, I am once again called back to court for an emergency change of custody petition. This makes number 2 in 3 years, not to mention the multiple suits regarding other issues from the last 6 years.

The ex has not paid child support in 23 months. He owes only 585 per month for 2 children because he lied about how much money he makes. He owes approx. $14K in arrearages. He remarried a much younger woman (now 30) and they share one 2 year old child. He owns a business, 2 houses, 2 mortgages, multiple horses, equipment, 17 acres of land, pays a lawyer and refuses to pay his support. He filed child support fraud charges against me because the state was trying to ensure he paid. How does any of this make him a fit parent. If he paid his child support he couldn't afford an attorney to continually take me to court.

Because of a 6 year old's bad judgement to threaten an 11 year old boy with a knife because he took his money and the neighbor thought it best to tell DCF instead of me, I am now facing court and expenses I cannot afford once again.

I must respond to this petition by Sept. 8 and I do not know where to start. I do not make enough money to afford an attorney, but too much to qualify for legal aid. I love my children and have been a very good example for them all. They all make good grades, I have a 17 year old who is about to receive an academic and athletic scholarship. She has never been in trouble and she has a job. The 13 year old makes excellent grades and is also a great girl. The son has had some trouble with speech and does not like school as much, however, I have went out on a limb and gotten him into programs that has helped and corrected these problems. I just graduated college myself with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice and I acquired a position one year ago as a Manager of an Animal Control Dept. I have done all possible, but I work long hours and cannot afford after school care for the son and the sisters have had to care for him.

I am being destroyed over a situation that this father has put me into financially, intentionally. I need help with a strategy and responding to this petition. I have read the UCJJEA and realize that it provides that court jurisdiction may be changed if a child has resided in a state for 3 years. I am unable to afford to travel to AL to fight this man again. I believe that the situation should qualify this case to be changed to FL according to the UCJJEA and I need the father to be held for contempt/and/or arrested beforehand. I need help filling out the response and determining what else to file to allow me to defend myself without having to spend money that I do not have. I am currently negative in my bank account because of my daughter's car expenses and she just began to work and had to have a car. I also got crucified by the Judge in AL the last time because I was summoned in 3 days and I did not have representation. I retained my children, but he really raked me over the coals and required me to get representation and reappear at a later date... neither could I afford. The same Judge tried to order the State of VA to cease enforcement of the child support order and he tried to order Loudoun VA to produce my personnel file.

I don't know what to do. Someone please help me.

Thanks

There are times you can not afford not to have an attorney.
This is one of them