I'm not being flip or unsympathetic to your position, but you have to pay your lawyer, especially in family law cases. They bill by the hour (it's illegal to take a divorce case on a contingency fee) and most guys I know will drop their clients if they don't pay. The divorce business is one area of the law that is booming. Those lawyers are definitely not hurting for clients.
I suggest you have a heart to heart with your lawyer and see if you can work out a payment plan, or trade (a couple of my friends have had remodel work and dirt moving etc).
I suggest you have a heart to heart with your lawyer and see if you can work out a payment plan, or trade (a couple of my friends have had remodel work and dirt moving etc).
Fighting over child custody is a no win situation. Even if you win, you will lose in many other ways.
The best advice I can give is if you two play tug-of-war with her you will wind up with a broken child.
Since you called the SO (the mother) your girlfriend and not your wife, you have bigger problems than you can solve yourself unless you can work it out with her. Like JB said, you'll have to pony up and pay a lawyer, so find someone that can help you with that.
PS> don't have kids outside of marriage.
The best advice I can give is if you two play tug-of-war with her you will wind up with a broken child.
Since you called the SO (the mother) your girlfriend and not your wife, you have bigger problems than you can solve yourself unless you can work it out with her. Like JB said, you'll have to pony up and pay a lawyer, so find someone that can help you with that.
PS> don't have kids outside of marriage.
I also think the tough economy is one reason for lots of divorces. Also, lots of disability claims.
I'm going out on a limb here, since I'm a recent immigrant from Ohio.
If you've got custody papers, but don't have the child, you should be able to get the sheriff's help in taking custody of the child. It's a court order, and that's one of the things that sheriff's deputies do: enforce court orders.
You must stay with an attorney here. Any free legal advice you get - even mine - is worth every penny you pay for it.
You also must take the high road in your behavior, in all areas. No yelling at the GF. No spending the night with another woman, or having another woman spend the night with you. If you drink, quit. If you smoke, quit. Do everything you can to show that you're actively seeking the best for your daughter.
The child must have good child care: don't leave her with any even remotely suspected of any crimes (DUI, drugs, violence - anything).
Don't interact with anyone in your girlfriend's family without a witness present. This is critical. The last thing you want is for her to come by your place, argue with you, then have her beeline for the cops and show up with bruises. You want to have another set of eyes and ears who can verify everything. Have someone record every interaction if possible (audio, at least, but I"m not sure about Oklahoma laws regarding recording phone calls).
Keep track of everything: phone calls, emails, knocks on the door, conversations with teachers, doctor's appointments. Buy a notebook and start keeping a log of everything that happens. Print out every email that she might send, and print full headers. (If you don't understand that, PM me and I'll help you out). You must be on your best behavior to maintain custody.
Good luck.
If you've got custody papers, but don't have the child, you should be able to get the sheriff's help in taking custody of the child. It's a court order, and that's one of the things that sheriff's deputies do: enforce court orders.
You must stay with an attorney here. Any free legal advice you get - even mine - is worth every penny you pay for it.
You also must take the high road in your behavior, in all areas. No yelling at the GF. No spending the night with another woman, or having another woman spend the night with you. If you drink, quit. If you smoke, quit. Do everything you can to show that you're actively seeking the best for your daughter.
The child must have good child care: don't leave her with any even remotely suspected of any crimes (DUI, drugs, violence - anything).
Don't interact with anyone in your girlfriend's family without a witness present. This is critical. The last thing you want is for her to come by your place, argue with you, then have her beeline for the cops and show up with bruises. You want to have another set of eyes and ears who can verify everything. Have someone record every interaction if possible (audio, at least, but I"m not sure about Oklahoma laws regarding recording phone calls).
Keep track of everything: phone calls, emails, knocks on the door, conversations with teachers, doctor's appointments. Buy a notebook and start keeping a log of everything that happens. Print out every email that she might send, and print full headers. (If you don't understand that, PM me and I'll help you out). You must be on your best behavior to maintain custody.
Good luck.
I would tell you to heed the advice of JB Books! You need a lawyer, not some folks on a gun forum
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