Legal Question in Family Law in Ohio
Mediation/visistation
I live with my fiance', we have a son together and he has a son with another woman that he was never married to. I have been with him since before these children were born, they are about to turn 5 in a couple of months, so have been here from the beginning. Had informal visitation with his son, until the mother got angry her child wanted to stay with us. Next thing we know she is claiming he told her I beat him with a baseball bat. She says a she took him to a dr.,don't believe that, he would have reported abuse, so they would have come to check? Have finally filed and been to mediation where the only visitation she will agree to is if I am not there. She claims she filed a complaint with CPS on me, but it's been a yr, and I have heard nothing. She says they cannot decide which county is responsible.Why didn't they investigate?I realize I have no rights, and I am a legal stranger here, but what can I do to prove her allegations are false, lie detector? So that my fiance' can have his son back in our home with us for visits, and I can see the child I consider my son again? He goes to mediation again in 4 days and I hope to be able to get this cleared up even if it goes to court.Can CPS help prove no abuse? Will do anything
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Mediation/visistation
If the "hearing" that is coming up really is a mediation session, the effort by the mediator will be to get the parties to come to an agreement on visitation etc. Mediation does not involve witnesses etc. The mediator will listen to both sides, sometimes together and sometimes separately. The mediator should not make a determination as to who is telling the truth or who is lying. If the issue is not worked out in mediation, then there will most likely be another hearing where witnesses can be called in etc.
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Good Luck!
DHD