Is my ex an unfit mother?
My ex-wife and I divorced due to her adultery (she had another man's baby prior to our divorce). I have never missed a child support payment and see my four year old daughter as much as I possibly can. My ex has, since the divorce, lived off the government and has not worked. There are debt collection agencies calling my house looking for her, even although she has not lived here for two years. She has neglected to provide for our daughter and the son she now has with another man (who, incidentally, ended their relationship last year). I enrolled my daughter in a private school last year and have paid the full expenses for the school, while my ex has paid nothing. For some time I have been concerned at the lifestyle my daughter is being forced to lead ... she is only four but is frequently up at 11:30pm on a school night, often I will pick her up for school and she will be dressed but fast asleep on the sofa, her hair will not be brushed, her face will not be washed and her teeth will not be brushed. Several times I have driven her to school via my house just to clean her up. One day last week, my daughter missed a day of school because my ex "forgot" to take her there, and apparently didn't realise her mistake until I asked her on the phone later that day how our child got on at school that day. The other day, my ex asked me if I had any cash because she had no money to feed her children, stating that her food stamps wouldn't be renewed for another two weeks. I have witnessed her spank my daughter unnecessarily and when I tried to stop her she threatened me with the Police. Tonight, I finally got a hold of my ex (having tried all day to speak with my daughter on the phone) at 11:30pm, and she told me that she was keeping our daughter off school in the morning because it was late at night and she wasn't at home, and she wanted to take her to see a movie in the morning anyway. Now, apparently, my ex is engaged to a man six years her junior with whom she has been involved for about three weeks. This man lives in Florida (400 miles from here) and she says she intends to move there later this year with my baby and with her son by a different man. The man she is allegedly marrying does not work but draws instead some kind of veterans disability pension. In addition, he was prohibited for nearly three years from seeing his own child due to a court ordered restraining order against his own ex-wife. I am extremely concerned for my daughter's well-being ... first of all, I am fed up with the sloppy lifestyle my daughter is being exposed to. Second of all, I am concerned that my ex may actually be permitted to move to Florida with her two children (one of whom isn't even my responsibility), even although my daughter has a life here ... my daughter goes to school here, her grandparents are here, her church is here, her stability is here and, of course, I am here. What on earth can I do to protect my daughter from this crazy lifestyle being selfishly forced upon her? I really am at my wits end. Please help!
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