I am being taken to court for visitation. The father has not been involved in my child's life. My son is eight years old and I want to know how is it possible to be taken to court after all these yaers for visitation? The father owes back child support, but has been paying for at least the last two years due to garnishments. My son is not your typical eight year. He is very well behaved and very independent. He is a great child. I feel this could potentially harm him. The father has not followed through with anything in the last eight years. If they passed each other on the street, niether one would reconize each other. The courts made it seem to me that vistation will be set and I had little to say on it. I feel it is not healthy at this point although necessary that my son know is father. What to do?

I am being taken to court for visitation. The father has not been involved in my child's life. My son is eight years old and I want to know how is it possible to be taken to court after all these yaers for visitation? The father owes back child support, but has been paying for at least the last two years due to garnishments. My son is not your typical eight year. He is very well behaved and very independent. He is a great child. I feel this could potentially harm him. The father has not followed through with anything in the last eight years. If they passed each other on the street, niether one would reconize each other. The courts made it seem to me that vistation will be set and I had little to say on it. I feel it is not healthy at this point although necessary that my son know is father. What to do?


You follow any court order and wrap your head around the fact that dad will get visitation. You should fight for supervised to start out for a transition period and in the mean time get VERY open communication with your child and if he seems like he's having difficulty with this or has trouble speaking to you about it then find him a good counselor to help him through. Kids bounce back faster and better then we usually give them credit for.

Countersue for sole custody on the grounds it is in the best interst of the child and because the fahter abandoned the child; and also seek support from teh father since he wants to exercise visitation

Unfortunately he can get visitation, he is his son, end of story. If you want to keep him from seeing your son, you can try to terminate his parental rights by stating the father abandoned the child, that will also terminate child support. Otherwise, you don't have a choice in the visitation, but I would definately ask for a time period for your son to transition into the visitation (short visitations at first, gradually moving up to regular visitation). Sorry.

I thank all for your responses to my thread. I am new at this whole situation. I only have the one child and want to make sure I do what is best for him. I truely believe he should know his father. I just didn't think it would be like this. I pictured things a lot different than what they are. I felt very lost when I recieved the court papers and I wasn't sure what to do. Naturally I panic, and I suppose I have some hard feelings as well. I feel like this person not only abandoned me but the child as well. I love my son and only want what is best for him. Thank you again!