Child custody when not married and never lived together

[WayCooolArtMom]

Anybody with advice on maintaining custody when father decides he wants all or joint custody? We were never engaged, married, or lived together. My son, now 4, was born with severe bi-bilateral club feet and through many doc appointments, castings, surgery, and therapy....I've been the primary caregiver and the cold has lived with me. Father claims to have has the child almost 50% of the time. He asked for him on a sporadic basis, which was fine with me and I promoted it. Now I'm faced with proving this "50%" not true...how? Also...father has displayed less than mature and respectful....I wil just say it....coercive....behaviors (i.e.threatening that he has pictures of our having sex and that I had better come to a compromise or off to court we go,etc). What are my rights and how do the courts look at threatening texts when dealing with custody??? Anybody out there know?????

[mommy_2_be_2010]

Bump keep them all

[Mommyto2LilMen]

I would definitely contact a lawyer.

[Ridingsolo]

Get a really good lawyer and you should be fine. Good luck!

[Andrewsmom70]

Yep. Get a good lawyer and tell him to bring it on. Threatening you with pictures of BOTH of you together is STUPID.

Start keeping any and everything he sends you. And document time he spends helping with, taking care of attending dr appointments for your son, etc.

[DDDaysh]

 Get a lawyer! 

Proving the child lived with you shouldn't be too hard.  Was he in daycare or preschool at all?  What about therapy with his injurries?  Does his Dad go to any of his appointments? 

You can bring affidavits from family and friends stating the child lives with you primarily.  If you back that up with an affidavit from his daycare provider, or therapy or medical records showing you are the one who almost always brings him in, and that you're listed as the residential home on all thsoe records, then a judge will likely see through his claims. 

Be prepared, he probably will get some custody, maybe even more than you'd like, but I'd be surprised if he got primary. 

Does your son have any special needs right now?  Does Dad know how to care for them? 

[prdmomnarmywife]

Document EVERYTHING !!!! Record him anytime he calls . Save all text ! & let him go to court .itll help in the long run , then everything will be in writing & he can't just disappear with your child .

[brieri]

 Hi and welcome to the group.

Good luck.

[mommI7777777]

what are the text? i am going threw same thing can anyone indentifiy threating text?