Can dad get legal custody?
Hi, I am in a real troubling dilemma, and I need your advice. I am a single mom of an eight year old little girl. Her father has been in and out of her life, because we were unable to get along, because it was his way or the highway. He also did not want to pay child support, so for me not to know where he worked, how much he made, and what he does with his cash, he chose not to have a relationship with his daughter. In fact, he said he would do this when she was a teenager, because then, I could not be in his financial business. An order was made in family court when she was six years old. Even though he made over $200,000 a year, he had a better lawyer, and only has to pay 178 a week; I am also responsible for babysitting, afterschool, medical, dental, life insurance, etc. fees I make 36,000 a year. He is a real estate broker, and hides his income, says he really makes 24,000 because of business expenses.
Anyway, the last time he saw my daughter before now she was six. He sat down with her and told her that he could not be her dad anymore, and that she would see him when she was 18. She began to have problems in school, so took her to counseling. We moved to a new and better economic neighborhood, and she was still having problems in school. She is doing poorly academically and socially, so I got her a tutor, and also put her in an afterschool tutoring program. I meet with the teacher and administrators regularly, but mostly because of her behavior. I usually initiate the meetings. She doesn't hand in her homeworks, even though they are completed, does not write down all of her h.w. assignments in her agenda, and is failing her exams. I asked her dad for help, because I felt that he was one of the MAIN reasons she was acting up. After almost a year, he has decided to become involved, but on his terms. They have a horrible relationship, because she is angry at him. He is inflicting corpal punishment on her, opposite of what I do, I and her counselor believe that talking is best.
He bought a three bedroom house, is taking an active role in her school work, meeting with her teacher without me, and blaming me for her failure. I am afraid that I will lose my child to him and his family? Although I wanted our daughter to have a relationship with her father, I do not want to lose custody of her. We live in a 1 br apt, but I gave her the br, and I am in the lr. What are my rights? What can I do? I am scared in ny. Please help.