My hubby's ex-wife is not a good mother at all. The woman does not take the kids to the dr when they need to go, the 6 yr old has diaper rash because her mom puts her in pullups still, she makes the kids lie to their dad, she dresses them in stained up clothes that don't fit and the list goes on and on. We have an appointment with a lawyer Tuesday to file for full custody and I was looking for answers as to hwo much of a battle do you think it will be. BTW in 2 years she has been engaged 3 times.......the one she is engaged to now is the father of the last one she was engaged to. How sick is that?How easy or hard is it to get a change in custody in the state of Georgia?One thing is certain, it will be an expensive battle - if she fights back, you will be shelling out a minimum of $20,000...probably more.
Stained clothes and a diaper rash, bad taste in men, are probably not going to do it. Your attorney will tell you what your chances are, but usually you need drug or alcohol abuse, physical or sexual abuse (even emotional abuse is difficult to prove) or criminal activity to prove a mother so bad that you get a custody change. (I'm not saying that's right, it's just the way it is.)
And, there will be a seperate law guardian appointed, possibly a therapist also, who will interview the children and basically ask them who they want to live with. If the kids say %26quot;Mom,%26quot; you're going to have an uphill battle.
But, good luck to you, I hope things work out for you.How easy or hard is it to get a change in custody in the state of Georgia?I don't know much about custody laws, but I think that custody usually goes to the responsible parent. I would contact DFCS (Department of Family and Children Services) and let them know what's going on. That way #1- The kids will be protected from the neglect and abuse they're enduring #2- You'll have proof of what's going on, which should help your case.How easy or hard is it to get a change in custody in the state of Georgia?Honey, I'm going to be honest with you. This is going to be an uphill battle. Chances are that mother is using that child as her meal ticket. If what you say is true, the best thing would have been to give social services a call when you started noticing these things. This way you have documentation from an outside party of the neglect. Please DO NOT call now (unless it's extremely necessary), or the courts will look at this as a game play and dismiss it. Which only hurts the child. What I suggest you do is contact the school, and ask for attendance records. Most neglectful parents also fail to get their children to school on time, if at all. See if the child is in any extra curricular activities, make a doctor's appt for the child on your time and check to make sure things are up to par (immunizations, health, weight, etc.) Then do the same with a dentist and get records for the child's last visit. If she's not current on these things, it becomes proof to substantiate your case. As with any state, judges are biased towards the mother, especially with a child of a young age. There are alot of things that come into play, such as the bond that child has with the custodial parent vs. the bond the child has with your husband. How much visitation your husband has and what role he plays in that child's life. I'm not trying to be harsh, I'm just making sure that you are prepared. Because after all this is brought out into the open, then comes you and where you fit into the picture. They will interrogate you to no avail, ask you questions about your opinion of the situation, etc., my advice would be do remain nuetral and keep your concerns with the child, it shows where your intentions are.
In short, it's a tough fight, but if warranted, I always say it's a fight worth fighting. The only one who suffers in these situations is the children, and if you can do better, PLEASE, by all means, try your damndest.
