Things are looking up, hired a lawyer...

Well, the public lawyer is out (worthless), and we hired a private lawyer to get my wife's daughter back...

We're currently pouring through the court docs of previous court visits, and I think our lawyer is going to like what we've found...

Hopefully, this saga can be settled out of court, but DCF (Department of Children and Families), has more power here in FL, than Hitler had in Nazi Germany.....

Geeze you really are being put through it!

Good luck gaz, I hope all goes well for your family and
that you can finally get settled,

Asala

Good luck and i hope everything turns out alright.

You'd be amazed at some of the stuff we're finding in these court docs.... DCF must be frickin' blind.... They took the kids out of a loving home, and put them with their grandmother, who according to their own findings, is pretty much a whack job, yet she was THEIR CHOICE for placement??? Mind boggling.....truly mind boggling, and scary....

They sound like a real bunch of imbeciles. Good luck with your case

Yes, but much like the Gestapo, they have more power than brains....sadly....

Good luck Gaz have a beer on me when your ordeal is finally over.

3 words for ya gaz....GIVE EM HELL!

I will send you positive energy (an enhanced prayer)

I still don't understand why your wife, the biological parent, is not guaranteed child custody. :shk:

One of these days I'll go into the long story....

May I ask how's it going?

Sure...but I'll give you the backstory first...(you asked...hehe...)

My wife was once married to one of my best friends (my wife was simply a friend at this point). I was even one of the best men (he had two) at the wedding, and my mother made the wedding cake. Anyhoo, they eventually had two children together, a little girl first, then a little boy about a year later.

One of our friends was a teen who was pregnant, and kicked out of her home. They took her in, and my buddy watched her baby while she went to work. This teen mother was abusing her baby by shaking it when it cried (unknown at the time). She accused my buddy of the abuse, and since he was a big guy, he was locked up...(nevermind the fact that he had two children of his own, perfectly fine). This was a long court ordeal, and he never was convicted. The guards would constantly torture him, but just enough not to leave marks, (as they thought him guilty). It never went to full trial because after we got my buddy out on bail, he killed himself to end the ordeal for his family...

So, my wife was left with two children to raise, and I lost my best buddy. Well, she eventually hooked up with some of the wrong guys... In doing so, my wife's mother (hater of all men, disliker of me only) got the kids to say things about these various guys, promising them trips to Disney if they told the police what she wanted them to say. HRS (now known as DCF) has great power in this state, and managed to take the kids and put them with my wife's mother. If she attempted to get them back, she faced losing them to the system, and having them with strangers instead of family (she didn't know the full extent of her mother's involvement at the time).

So, some years went by, and the little boy began having behavioral issues. Well, the grandma abandoned them to the system. At this point, my wife and I were engaged, and we fought to get custody of the boy. Unfortunately, this failed, as we didn't have the funds (or the wits it seems) to get a "real" lawyer. After this, any thought of getting back the little girl was terrifying.

A couple of years went by, and then the grandma had a stroke. She could no longer care for the girl, and wanted her to be with her mom (guess the threat of death can guilt you)... It was arranged by grandma's lawyer, and we had her back for a couple weeks before DCF again had to get involved. They took the girl, and said without a close family member to go to, she'd go into the system, pending a termination of parental rights. We placed her with my brother, and she is still with him until we can get her back.

So far, we've had a lot of visitation, (seeing her today and tomorrow in fact) and the councilor and all can see how happy she is with us. We have a real lawyer, and are fighting to get permanent custody. But, DCF is constantly reorganizing (yesterday the leader of it stepped down even), and it takes forever to get anywhere with them... Unfortunately time is on their side. But, we've got a few more cards to play in "nice mode", before the lawyer's gloves come off.

For now, we get to see her about twice a month, and then additional family gatherings like birthdays, holidays, etc. We want it to be everyday of course, and we're going to fight the state tooth and nail for it... it's just going to take time....

Thanks for that. That's horrendous. I didn't realize there was more to it than revealed in your wedding tv show & not having custody of the kids.

God bless you, your wife, & the kids. I'm sure you'll all be reunited some day as it should be.

I hope so...

In any case, once she turns 18, the state can't do jack, so at least then we're in the clear....

But, that's no reason for her, and us, to miss out on the next 7 years either!!! It's bad enough they've taken away 5 of the most important years... She's a strong, and intelligent little girl though, and that's a good thing. I'll keep all posted as anything significant changes....hopefully, such changes will be for the better.....

From the sound of things you and your wife should end up with the child. Don't worry, as long as you have a competent lawyer getting your wife's daughter back should easy enough (so long as justice is still in power). Anyhow good luck and may God be with you.

Well, things look a little better, seems there is more support they're leaning towards a case plan... Time will tell...

See the Going to be a Dad Update...

DCF is now going for reunification, not termination of rights!