i need help with dealing with the system.for two years now i have been trying to get more time with my 6 year old daughter. the mother has done everthing to keep me from her so she can get more support.she was getting 100 a week. and that was not enough she said.7 time she has broken court order to give me her and the courts have let her get away with it. i pay for her insurance and half of the bills the insurance does not pay.i have had the same job for 3 years now. make good money. the mother has not had a job that she kept for two week in the last 2 years. the mother has my daughter on state insurance.i switched shifts so i only work fri sat sun and get paid for 40 hours. now i get my daughter mon-fri. before i only got two weekends a month some some time in the week.i had to fight to get 2 weeks vaction a year with her. the courts have now put us in court order counsling they dont want to deal with it.i just want to go on with my live after divorce.the mother was in a home less shelter for five days and would not give me my daughter.so i switched shifts. and now i have her.i hired a lawyer and he got my support lowered.he is working on the case hard today friend of corts said if we dont comply with the system they will take away parenting time away.i work i pay the bills i have 3 bedroom house i am paying off. how can all this happen.lost at what to do in michigan ps she also call all the time. i have had 130 call this year when i have my daughter. the good news is that she met some on line 3 months ago and they are getting maried in the fall.that will be her 3 time. me 1 time it scares me to try 2 time.i forgot to tell you that she has been on meds for depression for 6 years and the judge said oh that is a low dose.the mother thinks she has eather add or adhd or bipoler.

unless shes using drugs or abusing the children u wont get much time.. you could fight but would only get every other weekend and maybe a couple days during the week...

only thing u can do is bite your tongue and not do anything stupid and let her make the mistake of screwing up just once and slam it to her when she makes that mistake..

also keep journals of daily stuff she does that isnt normal. stuff that bothers u that she does with the kid and such. it will help down the line when u are sitting in court in front of a judge. but like i said.. if she aint abusing drugs/alcohol (dui's) or abusing them they will go with her side no matter what.. sucks cause alot of mothers are low lifes nowadays and there aint **** we can do about it becuase we are male.. its a ashame but u just gotta bite your tongue till the times right.. trust me i bit my tongue for many years till the time came and as of last year got full primary custodial rights to my son and she well was seeing him a a couple times a month supervised at chuckie cheese or whatever but now shes sitting in a jailcell for a long time.. shame but you gotta think whats best for the children mentally and physically..

goodluck carl. feel free to email me or anything if u need and advice or such.. im all for helping single fathers with this stuff.. sure as hell isnt the best of times when kids are involved.

i dont know about there but in PA visation and support dont go hand and hand any more
know your fathers rights in Michigan that way they cant screw you over
http://www.dadsofmichigan.org/events.html
http://www.mifsc.org/default.htm

girls should just be happy the fathers want to see thier kids and not use them against him..THE ONE IT HURTS THE MOST IS THE KIDS..WAKE UP AND GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON!

The best thing you have done is hired a lawyer. Judges do not listen to fathers, especially fathers without lawyers.

If you are able to keep tabs on her and your child, if she screws up report her to the state every time.

If she is actively trying to harm the relationship between you and your child, let your lawyer know. Judges usually frown upon parents that do this. The custodial parent usually had a responsibility to foster a healthy relationship with the non-custodial parent. This should be written in the custody agreement, if not tell your lawyer to have it added. This will make the parents obligated to work together better when dealing with the child, and gives you ammunition if she doesn't follow it.

*information above is from my experience going through Florida courts, your state should be similar though.

thank you i have been keeping a log for 2 years now.i hope that some day i could my daughter.

i will have my lawyer have it writen

also talk toyour lawyer about requesting a different judge. You willhave to prove that the judge is biassed for whatever reason towards the mother, and not making reasonable or sound judgements towards the child(ren). I live inmichigan and have sole custody of both my boys, so am familiar with the laws and such. And believe me, judges ARE being looked at and rated in regards to child custody, etc. now. Michigan at least has decreed that a divorce automatically starts out 50/50 unless evidence can be shown supporting a change in that. There are still a lot of judges out there (especially small town judges) that ignore this, and follow the precept of mother is always best, yes, but they are a dying age, and slowly it is getting better...