Rights of an absent father after 11 years
My daughter is seventeen years old. The last time my daughter had contract with her father was December 1999. It was sporadic the two previous years. We received a letter from him January 2000, stating he was "canceling his visitation for an indefinite period." Last Friday we received a letter from an attorney stating he wants to start his weekend visitation. She has not seen or had contact with him in the last 11 years. At this time she has stated to me that she will see him if and when she wants to see him (on her on time).
Can the court make her see him when she doesn't want to?
Comment on JudyKayTee's post
We have discussed the matter of visitation and she knows this is her decision. I have not spoken to him in 15 years and do not intend to start now.
I am assuming some of the reason she is hesitant to meet him is... she has seen him at a distance at school activities and he did not bother to speak to her turned his head instead. When she was younger she had to have some medical tests at the hospital. When we stepped out of radiology, we ran right into him. He looked down and kept walking (did not acknowledge her). She asked me if that was him, I said yes Baby. She said oh, and kept walking in the other direction. She played basketball, and he would go to the games and cheer for other kids and not her. She would be ready for him to pick her up and he would not show up. When she did go for visitation he would leave her with other people. These are just a few things.
The only thing that I know of that happened in his life 12 years ago, was that he remarried.