[neomama]

My son and I reside in York county Pennsylvania. My son will be 2 years old in September. His father walked out and left the household on March 12th 2011. It has been now been 15 months since my sons father has made any attempt to see the child. He gives no phone calls or stops to visit. In fact my sons fathers whole side of the family acts as though my son does not exist none of them acknowledge my son in the least. Also his father pays no financial child support, but keeps telling people he is going to take me to court for full custody. Isn't this considered child abandonment and what can I do to prevent him from being awarded custody in the event he does try to take my son from me?

[Fr_Chuck]

You use this to file for custody ( assuming you have not already did that) Then you also get a child support order though the court, ( since he does not really owe you if you have not filed for it)

He can always hire an attorney and try to get custody, or change the custody agreement in place, and of course get visitation. But sounds like threats to stop you from asking for money to me.

[ScottGem]

First, have you field for support? If not, then why are you surprised he pays nothing? Second, while it may be abandonment, what do you want to do about it? Abandonment can be used as grounds for something else, but by itself is nothing.

I suspect his threats about custody are to intimidate you from filing for support. Clearly its working. So you need to get off the stick and go to court for support. Yes, he may file against you for custody in retaliation, but its unlikely he will get anything more than visitation. You show the court that he has previously made no attempt to see or support his child and that you have been raising your child without him and no court is likely to give him anything more than visitation.