Legal Custody Question

Quick outline of my story before my question...

I am a UK resident and was (I thought, happily) married to an American girl and we have a daughter together. in 2007, whilst I was a full-time carer for my terminally-ill mother, she took my daughter to the States to stay with her mother so my daughter would remember my mother as she was, not how she ended up and waited long enough fobbing me off with stories about coming home as soon as possible until my daughter because a habitual resident of the US. As soon as this happened, I got an email from her lawyer father saying she wasn't coming home.
So basicly, she abducted my daughter and as I had my mind on other things (my dying mother) and couldn't afford the quoted $40,000 it would cost to fight it trans-Atlantic, I basicly had my hands tied.

She has now, thankfully filed for divorce and I have received the papers this morning.

OK, the bit I am asking...

Under petitioner requests, she has ticked the box for her to have sole Legal custody of my daughter and not the joint legal custody box. This is something I do not want to happen and I do not want to lose any legal rights I have with my daughter and her future.

There is nothing in the paperwork I have received for me to contest any details of the petition and have no idea what I can do to change this.

What can I do to have this ammended?

PLEASE HELP!

Ahh another case of a vindictive mother using her child as a battering ram to get back at, and "punish" her ex through using our already clogged court system.

You need to consult an attorney and file a response. This is an international law situation so don't delay.

If you ask for partial custody you will get it. There are many couples with kids between the USA and UK.

Contact world law on their home page if you need detailed help but rest assured this is a well traveled path for many couples --and US and UK courts are relatively easy to deal with this on the issue.