Legal Question in Family Law in Illinois

I am currently in a Custody battle that is costing me much more than it should. I do have a full-time lawyer handling the case, and the cost is definitely worth me seeing my son.

The reason why it is costing so much is because my son's mother is trying to prolong the situation.

She left me during the first trimester of her pregnancy. I would try to ask her how things were going, and would even send her things for our unborn child. Even when shut down and out of the situation; I was trying to do everything I could to help her out. At the time she lived in Illinois. I live in Iowa.

She didn't inform me of his birth until 2 days after he was born. She let me come to the hospital, only to sign the birth certificate. She didn't let me see him for the first 7 weeks of his life (that was when we had court ordered visitation set up in Iowa.) She seeked council in Illinois. So then it had to switch to Illinois jurisdiction. A week after that she moved back to Iowa.

Custody cases in Iowa can take as little as a month, but in Illinois our court dates are always at least 4 months apart.

How can I move this back to Iowa? (as little cost as possible)

I have had to take out a loan for this already.

She is currently in contempt of court for violating & interrupting my visitation (which is supervised, due to the fact that if I wanted it to be unsupervised I would have had to 3 months)

During this time her family has harassed me. During visitations (which are in 3 hour increments) she will go to nurse him once an hour on the hour, and during this time i can hear them upstairs either him laughing or crying. Not nursing.

She has tried to find every fault of my past, and has pretty much interrogated my other son (4 years old)

She told me that she will nurse him for up to 3 years just so I will not be able to have over nights with him.

During this time; All I have wanted was to see my son, and to be a good father.

Because of this I am a bad person, but if I would've said screw it.. my name would also be mudd.

Anyway, what are ways to get it back in Iowa now that she lives here? and prove to the courts that she infact does live here. (she is currently using her sisters address as her own, in illinois)

What are things I can do to make the harassment stop?

What are things I can do to make this go in the best interest of my son? I do know that not having a parent in his life is not in his best interest.

Thank you to all that respond.

I am in dire need of some help.


Asked on 11/11/10, 10:22 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Thomas Moens Moens Law Offices, Chartered

Since you already have retained an attorney, that attorney is obviously more familiar with your situation. This is the attorney to whom you should direct your inquiries.

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Answered on 11/18/10, 1:52 pm


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