Child custody battles can be a nightmare. Whether the child custody dispute is with a former spouse or with the state, the struggle can quickly become overwhelming. Pennsylvania parents may be stunned to hear the story of a woman who lost her children after suffering physical trauma.
The woman was an involved mother to two girls when she met someone through a dating service in 2015. The relationship only lasted three months because he became abusive. He was arrested at the time, but the incident happened when the girls were present and Child Protective Services got involved. They did not remove the girls, however.
A later incident involving the ex stabbing the mother led her to drink more than she should have before going to the hospital for treatment. Because of her blood alcohol level, CPS was called again and this time the girls were removed from the mother’s care. At first she did not comply with court-ordered directives for drug testing or therapy because she couldn’t understand why they were punishing the victim. However, she began to fulfill the obligations set by the court.
Although the mother has since been on track, she has not regained custody of her girls. She is able to see the youngest one, who lives with her father, but the oldest (who has a different father) has been placed in the foster care system. The mother and her lawyer have taken the case to the state’s Court of Appeals, who agrees she was not treated fairly and has ruled another judge should review the case.
It can be hard for a parent to realize the state feels someone else can take better care of his or her child. It is also hard when the parent does all the court requires and child custody still is not regained. The best course of action is to retain the services of a Pennsylvania family law attorney who has the experience needed to win this type of case.
Source: wxyz.com, “Metro Detroit domestic violence victim battles for custody of children“, Kim Russell, Jan. 9, 2018
