Originally Posted by Willow:
Just make sure you have the suspension of parental custody paperwork before you do anything.
Filing for divorce is just filing for divorce. They are not judge jury and executioner paperwork that outlines who can see the child and when. Save for her getting an additional restraining order over safety concerns I'm not sure how she thinks the filing of the divorce paperwork will net her those same results. They will outline what she *wants* to have happen, there is nothing saying that *is* what she's going to get and I hope she understands that. Him getting them just gives him time to seek legal council and respond.
No judge seeks a legal filing until well into the process, and the only one who can suspend or alter parental custody is a judge.
I'd really hate to see you get sucked into a personal matter and then be held liable for withholding someone's child.
(As a parent I would it think it would be reasonable for a dad to be extremely upset if he heard his kids were fixing to be held from him, legally or not. You can protect yourself by being unbiased and fair. Only alter your current arrangement if you receive the custody specific paperwork telling you you should.)
Thank you! I definitely was already aware that I MUST have that paperwork before I can withhold his daughter from him- but I was not aware until just now that it must be signed by a judge. I just spoke to the town deputy and he emphasized multiple times that the paperwork I receive MUST be signed by a
judge to be legally able to withhold his daughter from him. I do not have the paperwork yet, so I am not sure if it's going to be signed by the judge (it is supposed to be emailed to me sometime today). I will definitely have to talk with DCM if it is not!