Story of Justice: Leah reaches a better parenting agreement

Leah* reaches a better parenting agreement

Background

Shortly after receiving a Final Judgment of Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence, Leah was served with a paternity action for the parties’ one minor child. The Father, Tom, hired an aggressive attorney and was pushing for 50/50 time-sharing with the child.  Tom not only had been violent with Leah but had also been Baker-Acted twice during the parties’ relationship, as he had threatened to hurt himself during one of his outbursts. Jobless, his drug abuse was out of control, and he was now living with his mother.

Assistance

Following a temporary hearing, the Father received two hours of time-sharing, two days a week, supervised by his Mother.  When another Judge took over the division, a further resolution was delayed.

In the meantime, the Parties agreed to attend mediation and entered into a graduated time-sharing agreement. The Father agreed to attend anger management, undergo a psychiatric evaluation, start paying child support, and secure a stable living situation. The Father’s time-sharing allocation graduated from the original order into one overnight stay every other weekend, and finally into two supervised overnight stays, all supervised by his Mother.

Why it Matters

The Judge signed the Final Judgment of Paternity that incorporated the agreed Parenting Plan. This agreement represented a significant accomplishment for Leah since it assured the child’s safety when with the Father.