I NEED LEGAL HELP

[nora salgado]

I HAVE A PATERNITY HEARING ON 2/12. I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE JUDGE TO BRING PROOF OF HEALTH INSURANCE FOR THE CHILD AND INCOME. MY JOB PROVIDES INSURANCE ONLY FOR THE EMPLOYEE. INSURANCE FOR THE CHILD IS $300mo. WILL THE CUSTODIAL PARENT ALSO NEED TO SHOW PROOF OF INSURANCE? HOW DO I FIND OUT IF SHE HAS INSURANCE ALREADY? SHE IS EMPLOYED AS WELL AND HAS 2 OTHER CHILDREN, BUT SHE'S NOT FORTHCOMING WITH ME REGARDING HEALTH INSURANCE IF ANY SHE HAS FOR THE CHILD IN QUESTION. I WANT THIS CHILD TO BE MINE, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO BE DUPED. SHE WENT FROM SAYING IT WAS MINE WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT, THEN SAID I WAS NOT THE FATHER, THEN WAITED ALMOST A YEAR BEFORE SHE APPROACHED ME AGAIN TO TELL ME I WAS INDEED THE FATHER. DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE. IF THE CHILD IS MINE I WOULD LIKE JOINT CUSTODY. THE CUSTODIAL PARENT HAS A SUBSTANCIATED CASE IN FAMILY COURT AND LACKS GOOD JUDGEMENT. I WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS CHILDS LIFE AND HELP PROVIDE A BETTER LIFE FOR THE CHILD AS WELL. AT PRESENT I HAVE SUPERVISED VISITATION IN HER HOME ONLY. I MAY ADD THAT I AM AN EX-FELON WHO SERVED 16 YRS, (AGE 17-36) WAS PAROLED IN JAN '01, HAVE SINCE WORKED, OBTAINED MY ASSOCIATES AND CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS A BACHELORS IN GRAPHIC DESIGN. I WANT TO BE PREPARED FOR THIS HEARING. I MAKE $10.00 AND HOUR AND WANT TO DO AS MUCH AS I CAN FOR THIS CHILD. I LIVE IN MY MOTHER'S HOME AND WE ARE READY TO FIX OUR GUEST ROOM FOR THE CHILDS OVERNIGHT VISITS SHOULD I BE GRANTED JOINT CUSTODY. PLEASE ADVISE ME ON THIS OR REFER ME TO SOMEONE THAT CAN.

THANK YOU
DARRELL BROWN

You can ask her in court or subpoena her for info before your hearing. If the court feels you are responsible you should get normal visits. It is the preferred way of setting up visitation.

[swarren]

Do you have a lawyer? If so they should request all information regarding income and insurance from her employer. Have you or will you establish paternity? That would be a wise idea. Be careful though.... I just finished my case this month, and the judge ordered that both myself and my ex MUST carry insurance on our kids if our employers offer it.

If you only have supervised visits in HER home, and she fights to keep the visits supervised and wins, make sure that you say that you would rather have a more neutral party do the visits. Chances are that they will give you a court approved case worker that will do the visits. if you stay with the visits in her home, she probably won't allow it to go further than that, whereas a court approved agency will progress the visits till they see that they are no longer necessary. be aware that the court approved agency that will conduct the visits may cost money, ours was $93.94 per hour! but after awhile they saw that there was no need for the supervision, and they wrote a letter to the judge informing him, and now my ex can't try to accuse me of needing to be supervised.
about the joint custody, as long as you show a safe, loving enviroment where your child has everything to meet her basic needs, there should be no problem in getting joint custody. chances are that you won't be awarded this right away, but they will have you taking gradual steps towards it in order to get your daughter used to being away from the other parent. ours started at 1 hr visit, then 2, then 3, then 8, soon to overnights. this will be a lengthy process, and will be stressful at times, but in the end its all worth it.
she will bring up your past criminal history, but the judge will most likely look at what you have done after being paroled, and see that you are trying to straighten up your life for yourself and you daughter. good luck to ya, feel free to ask more questions, i check this site, and several more every day.

good input!!!

[101989]

could I modify child support if my ex wife hasn't reported the she has been working? Since 2004 the child support has just been based on my income.