My stepdaughter’s mom got a restraining order on her behalf? Long, and complicated….?
Posted by adminNov 30
Hi, I am engaged to a man who has a 10 yr old daughter who he has full custody of, and who visits her mom every other weekend. So, almost 5 years ago, I moved in, and had a wonderful relationship with my stepdaughter for years. Her mother wanted nothing to do with her, and wouldn’t spend any time with her on her visitations. We ended up taking (the daughter) to counseling because she was having anxiety attacks, and her mom was always moving, and she admitted that her mother was doing drugs in front of her. Her mother was IRATE, and that same year we filed for child support enforcement which made her even more mad. From that point on, her mom and her mom’s family started harassing us. By phone, on the internet, you name it. We just dealt with it. During this time, I was extremely stressed out about an on the job injury, lack of sleep, and infertility problems. I began taking ambien. One night a few years ago, I took my sleeping pill and went to bed. I woke up an hour later in a parking lot in a totalled car. I had no idea what happened. I called the police. I was charged with a DUI, and I went through court appointed treatment, lost my license, etc. Well, 6 months ago, I was in another accident that was cause purely by weather (it was snowing and icy, and the tires were bald) even after I got my license back, I still didn’t drive his daughter around. Also, she was never in any danger. Well, based on my last accident, she got a harassment/protective order and I was kicked out of my home. I didn’t have time to get an attorney because I got served the day before I was to appear in court. I have now been living separately from my fiance, and have had no contact with my stepdaughter for six months. The kicker is that my stepdaughter’s mother currently is trying to get a continuance on the 6mo order (the judge didn’t even read mine and my family’s affidavits) just put the order in place, and let her lawyer call me a train wreck and a drug addict. So, I’m getting ready to fight this continuance with an attorney, and my stepdaughter’s mother has a warrant for her arrest from a fraud case back in 2005 where she used her daughter’s identity to open a bank account, and someone else’s ss#.. the bank figured it out, and closed the account to investigate… meanwhile, she wrote $1200 in fraudulent checks on the account after it had been closed. Anyway, long story short… the woman has multiple fraud, theft (one was our counties little league association for more than $10k) and she is always in court for this stuff.. but no drug charge, although she admits to using illegal drugs and says she won’t stop, but has stopped doing them in front of her daughter.
So, long story short, I have not harassed these people. It has been her mother harassing me for years, and my stepdaughter loved me before all of this. The problems is, is that now she feels like joining her mother in ganging up on me is the only way to gain her mother’s approval…She has told her dad that, and her grandma. She doesn’t want me to come home because her mom will be mad, and so, she’d just rather not see me, and have to deal with it all. And, It’s likely that I’ll win the case, and get the whole thing vacated, but… now I’m9 weeks pregnant with this girl’s little brother or sister, and she has no idea. I don’t want to raise my child or be in a war zone in my own home. What do I do? Serious answers only please, and please read all of the question.
Stephanie, I’m not sure what you’re confused about, but everyone else seems to have gotten it. Please don’t abuse the system by posting your flippant opinion just to rack up your points.
Also, I would like to add.. My fiance and I would have been married long ago, but with my injury, and all of the drama, we decided to wait. And, I call her my stepdaughter because I was the only mother figure in her life for 4 years. My fiance is as supportive as he can be, but what can he do? She’s his daughter’s mother? I admit, he’s not as black and white as I am as far as setting boundaries, and he’s not a vindictive person. he can’t even argue without getting flustered. he is incapable of insulting someone, or proving a point. It’s weird… so I have fought a lot of this battle alone. But, should I just leave? Move closer to my family? How do I deal with this little girl when I move back in. I am resentful (I hate that) but I love her and feel sorry for her too. Her mom is cruel.
7 comments
Comment by Laurel on 11/30/2011 at 3:42 am
Battle it out in court, and if that fails, have the daughter live with her mother.
Or, drop the marriage, because it will never work with the kid and the mother in the picture.
Comment by Mum of1 on 11/30/2011 at 3:51 am
1st off is to fight this all the way and make sure everybody including the courts know your pregnant by this man, no judge will force you to stay away from the man who is going to be the father of your baby. I would get your fiancee to talk to his daughter explain that your pregnant and needs everybody support not to be stressed out as you may lose the baby if everything gets on top of you. She properly is being encouraged by her birth mum and either is getting threats or presents that never did before but these people have being getting into your step-daughter head, that should only be blame on those people not her, she has being brain washed. If you win the case Im sure things be different and you may return home where you belong, you will have to try extra hard to rebuild what you once had with your step-daughter and try to have happy home, but include her in the new baby like offering her the help to pick out a name, help do up the new baby bedroom, clothes shoppings and scans, this may help with bonding with new baby as well as yourself too. But otherwise if the birth mum didnt butt in everything be perfect for your family, she should have that order out on her not you, im sorry your in this pickle but i have no other advice, good luck with everything!
Comment by cppdummy on 11/30/2011 at 4:32 am
Wow.
The 45 cent cure involves a good scope at the end of a rifle. LOL.. sorry.. I had to pop off a joke.
You should be able to write a statement, and have your lawyer proof, and “fix” it, then ask the judge to allow you to make a statement towards the end of your case. Seeing as how the daughter was never in danger, I don’t see a problem. The thing is, is that if you marry the girl’s father, I don’t think she’ll have a choice but to allow you to see her. All though, sure as I say that, some bleeding heart judge will give full custody to the mother. We don’t want that.
So what I would suggest is to announce to the judge that you are pregnant, state your intentions of getting married, and if he feels it is truly warranted, ask for supervised visitations but someone appointed by the court. THAT is very important. You don’t want someone like the ex wife’s sister doing the supervision. She’s know every time you took a pee. The thought behind this, is that to the judge, you must look as if you are willing to do everything in the world to make sure the girl will be fine. No matter how much of an inconvenience it is to you. You always put the child first.
Your lawyer may have a better suggestion, but please keep us informed, and I hope it works out for you.
Comment by bandaid_46 on 11/30/2011 at 5:12 am
First of all, your priority is your unborn child. Just focus on that and taking care of yourself. It probably was not a smart move to get pregnant when your future is in limbo. Where is your “fiance” in all this? Doesn’t sound like he is being very helpful to you at all. This is not your step daughter until and unless her father actually marries you. The child’s mother will eventually get what is coming to her – life has a way of evening things out, without your help. Back off and tend to your own business – that of taking care of your unborn child and yourself. Right now from where I sit, that looks like where this is heading anyway.
Comment by stephanie_6234 on 11/30/2011 at 5:43 am
I dont believe this story…too many things that dont add up.
Comment by baseballdad69 on 11/30/2011 at 5:46 am
When are you going to wise up? It is called a cell phone with a camera. Let the daughter visit “Mommy Dearest” and have her take pictures when she starts doing her drugs. The mom’s criminal cases are public record and can be used against her. Pictures and daughter’s testimony along with the charges should be enough to get full custody with minimal SUPERVISED visits at best. You should have hired the nastiest attorney you could afford from the beginning.
Comment by mollyblue55 on 11/30/2011 at 6:13 am
Fist of all, you can’t get a dui for taking a sleeping pill, you get a dui for drunk driving. They would have had to have you take a blood test in order to establish dui for medication and then would only apply to prescription medication, not otc.
Second, the ex would not have any grounds for a protection order unless she has strong evidence that you are a danger to her child.
You’re not telling the truth – you will find life will be easier if you do.