I am a young mother, and I’m trying to finish school to make a good life for my son and myself. His father offered to help me by temporarily switching custody, then as soon as I agreed he sewed me for custody based on a pile of lies. My son is currently being neglected there, and cries and begs me to let you know him live with me full-time. He’s only five years old and already is scared to tell me what happens at his fathers house because I might tell his father and he’ll get in trouble. I only get him every other weekend and I get two FaceTimes a week on Tuesday and Thursday. My son is rushed off the phone when we talk as well. He got hurt on his 4-wheeler (I didn’t know he had one and I’m not okay with him riding alone while his father and step mother don’t pay him any attention, he fell off the front the other day and was run over by it… he had to get up and drive it back only to be told to pay better attention by his father.) on top of all this, they’re having another baby and seem to only care about that baby, yet won’t let me see my son more. I am not informed of days out of daycare, or anything. I ask all the time to get him more or talk more and I’m just ignored. I’m trying to scrape up enough money to get a lawyer, since last time we went to court I couldn’t afford one and ended up where I am now. My five year old needs therapy from the trauma sustained there. I work full time at a daycare, I live alone, my son have everything he needs and I get what he wants if I can afford it. I’m also trying to get my degree in Law and Justice, so one day I can be a lawyer and help mothers, and fathers that are in similar situations. I am doing everything I can to give my son a good life, had I known my ex would treat him like this I would have never let him go live with them for majority of the time. I have never kept him from his dad, and I always updated him even when he didn’t ask. The lawyer that had the lowest price with the best results quoted me $2500 for the time, preparation and court appearances if we are able to agree and sit down for mediation, plus whatever mediation costs. She said after the initial hearing it would be another $3,000-6,000 to take it all the way to trial, how many court dates, depending on how much evidence, research and how hard he’s trying to block me from my sons life. So it’ll take at least $5,500-$8,500 to get the lawyer paid. My ex has made it clear he wants to hurt me (his wife told me that they just wanted the perfect family and they wouldn’t care if I died, it would actually make their lives easier). So I know it will be a drawn out battle, but anything will help, my son is the most important thing in my life. When he initially sued me for custody, he didn’t tell me until the day I was supposed to pick my son up, I wasn’t served for over 2 months. So I talked to both counties (we live in adjacent counties) sheriffs departments and a lawyer consult all saying they couldn’t find anything filed and I could get my son from daycare to avoid any dispute. I let my ex know before , when, and after I picked up my son and where we were going. (Back to my house.) he waited until the next day, had the police come and take my son crying and screaming from my arms, and this is when I was finally served… he didn’t communicate, he chose instead to traumatize my son when all he had to do was send me a message saying there were actually papers, or send me a picture of them. Then after my son was ripped from my arms, they didn’t let him see me, call me, or FaceTime at all until we went to court and the judge ordered it. This was mid December court wasn’t until the end of February. So I missed Christmas with my son and didn’t even get to call him. He tried his best to keep me from getting my son on his birthday, which is at the end of February luckily after the court date. The judge even called him out and scolded him for keeping my son from me in this manner. And I still don’t want to keep my son from his father unless he is hurting him. I firmly believe that children need both of their parents as long as they have only good intentions towards the child.