Hello,
I am asking for help in raising money to get an attorney to represent my daughter and I in a custody battle over my 21 month old daughter, Penelope. I am a graduate student at The University of Montana and do not have the funds as a single mother to pay for an attorney to fight this “David vs Goliath” battle.
Background:
My daughter’s father and I were briefly dating when I got pregnant. He wanted me to seek other options and have an abortion, and shortly after I ended the relationship and we haven’t been together since. Ultimately, I knew I needed to return to The Lord and follow his path for my baby and I.
When Penelope was born her father told my family and I that he was terrified of his lifestyle changing and needed a couple months to figure things out. 20 days later I got served custody papers from his mother’s law firm. His mother has been a family law attorney in Montana for 30 + years and is very well connected in this small community. Because of this I haven’t been able to find representation due to a “conflict of interest” and also because I can’t afford an attorney to take on this “David vs Goliath” case.
Since being served it’s been a nightmare filled with so much pain and heartache. In 21 months, there has been two CPS incidences which I had to report for abuse and neglect by her father, a court hearing because he broke the parenting plan by failing to complete a parenting class due to one of the CPS incidences, and non stop legal and law enforcement involvement. In 21 months they have filed over 10 motions I have filed 0. Each of these motions are filled with lies and fabrication of events to cover up her son’s actions, all the while her son is canceling visits and going on trips.
Just recently, her son and I got in an argument over the new parenting plan his mother’s law firm proposed. In this plan were “non negotiables” and if I couldn’t agree to them they were going to take me to court. Some of these included: a family reunion at their lake home where she would stay overnight for 4 days, starting at age 2 he would have her overnight, holidays, appointing a Guardian at Litem if we couldn’t agree on a schedule, and child support to remain the same until she is 18 years old.( All of this is troubling especially since Penelope is still nursing and has never spent a night away from me). During this argument her son pushed me and told the police officer that he didn’t. I sent his mother a text message stating that she’s the reason for all of this and that him and I already agreed to a plan. Shortly after I was served with 3 motions from his mother’s law firm while her son was on a “boy’s trip” in California. One of these motions they requested for the court to appoint a Guardian at Litem because they were accusing me of emotionally abusing Penelope during exchanges and being mentally unstable. His mom included the text messages between her and I as evidence.
Upon receiving this, I honestly couldn’t believe this was happening to me but could at the same time. In 21 months I have been harassed and threatened by this law firm and have witnessed them abusing the court system to get what they want. None of their claims are true and are so damaging to my daughter and myself. There is no evidence or documentation to support these claims. I don’t do drugs, I don’t drink, or go out. My whole life is centered around Jesus and my daughter, and trying to pursue a higher education to provide a better life for her and I. Knowing all of this, I decided to try and expose all of the corruption and with the help of family I wrote a 17 page response to the court to object to the motion. Over the past 21 months I have documented and complied evidence to protect myself and my daughter because my family and I knew what the opposing party was capable of. My strongest piece of evidence was that literally when this motion was being filed where I’m being accused of abusing my daughter, her son left the state and was on a trip to CA. If these claims were true, what parent would ever leave the state and forgo their visitation with their abused child to be left with their abusive mother? None. This is all his mother. Unfortunately, what I said in 17 pages didn’t matter. The court appointed a Guardian at Litem and it just so happens to be the one his mother’s law firm highly recommended. I have 15 days to set up an appointment with this person and then will have to have them come into my home and conduct a 60 day investigation.
I am so scared and overwhelmed and fear that his mother will do anything to take my baby from me. I don’t have the money or representation to take on this “David vs Goliath” case. But I know I need to get the word out and expose what’s happening to my daughter and I. I have to stand for what’s right and expose the lies and corruption. So I please ask for your prayers and help.
I want to thank my family for all their love and support . I want thank all the women in my mom’s Bible study for laying hands on me and praying for me as well as other groups throughout the community and in other states. This has been the hardest and darkest time of my life. Most importantly, I want to thank my Savior. I don’t know what I would do without my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In this time of feeling so scared and overwhelmed, He has never left or forsaken me, even in the darkest of nights.
As hard as it is to share my story, I ask that you please share my story with others. My daughter and I need all the help we can get.
May all the glory go to my Lord, Jesus Christ! Thank you and God bless you.
Meghan and Penelope
1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
I am asking for help in raising money to get an attorney to represent my daughter and I in a custody battle over my 21 month old daughter, Penelope. I am a graduate student at The University of Montana and do not have the funds as a single mother to pay for an attorney to fight this “David vs Goliath” battle.
Background:
My daughter’s father and I were briefly dating when I got pregnant. He wanted me to seek other options and have an abortion, and shortly after I ended the relationship and we haven’t been together since. Ultimately, I knew I needed to return to The Lord and follow his path for my baby and I.
When Penelope was born her father told my family and I that he was terrified of his lifestyle changing and needed a couple months to figure things out. 20 days later I got served custody papers from his mother’s law firm. His mother has been a family law attorney in Montana for 30 + years and is very well connected in this small community. Because of this I haven’t been able to find representation due to a “conflict of interest” and also because I can’t afford an attorney to take on this “David vs Goliath” case.
Since being served it’s been a nightmare filled with so much pain and heartache. In 21 months, there has been two CPS incidences which I had to report for abuse and neglect by her father, a court hearing because he broke the parenting plan by failing to complete a parenting class due to one of the CPS incidences, and non stop legal and law enforcement involvement. In 21 months they have filed over 10 motions I have filed 0. Each of these motions are filled with lies and fabrication of events to cover up her son’s actions, all the while her son is canceling visits and going on trips.
Just recently, her son and I got in an argument over the new parenting plan his mother’s law firm proposed. In this plan were “non negotiables” and if I couldn’t agree to them they were going to take me to court. Some of these included: a family reunion at their lake home where she would stay overnight for 4 days, starting at age 2 he would have her overnight, holidays, appointing a Guardian at Litem if we couldn’t agree on a schedule, and child support to remain the same until she is 18 years old.( All of this is troubling especially since Penelope is still nursing and has never spent a night away from me). During this argument her son pushed me and told the police officer that he didn’t. I sent his mother a text message stating that she’s the reason for all of this and that him and I already agreed to a plan. Shortly after I was served with 3 motions from his mother’s law firm while her son was on a “boy’s trip” in California. One of these motions they requested for the court to appoint a Guardian at Litem because they were accusing me of emotionally abusing Penelope during exchanges and being mentally unstable. His mom included the text messages between her and I as evidence.
Upon receiving this, I honestly couldn’t believe this was happening to me but could at the same time. In 21 months I have been harassed and threatened by this law firm and have witnessed them abusing the court system to get what they want. None of their claims are true and are so damaging to my daughter and myself. There is no evidence or documentation to support these claims. I don’t do drugs, I don’t drink, or go out. My whole life is centered around Jesus and my daughter, and trying to pursue a higher education to provide a better life for her and I. Knowing all of this, I decided to try and expose all of the corruption and with the help of family I wrote a 17 page response to the court to object to the motion. Over the past 21 months I have documented and complied evidence to protect myself and my daughter because my family and I knew what the opposing party was capable of. My strongest piece of evidence was that literally when this motion was being filed where I’m being accused of abusing my daughter, her son left the state and was on a trip to CA. If these claims were true, what parent would ever leave the state and forgo their visitation with their abused child to be left with their abusive mother? None. This is all his mother. Unfortunately, what I said in 17 pages didn’t matter. The court appointed a Guardian at Litem and it just so happens to be the one his mother’s law firm highly recommended. I have 15 days to set up an appointment with this person and then will have to have them come into my home and conduct a 60 day investigation.
I am so scared and overwhelmed and fear that his mother will do anything to take my baby from me. I don’t have the money or representation to take on this “David vs Goliath” case. But I know I need to get the word out and expose what’s happening to my daughter and I. I have to stand for what’s right and expose the lies and corruption. So I please ask for your prayers and help.
I want to thank my family for all their love and support . I want thank all the women in my mom’s Bible study for laying hands on me and praying for me as well as other groups throughout the community and in other states. This has been the hardest and darkest time of my life. Most importantly, I want to thank my Savior. I don’t know what I would do without my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In this time of feeling so scared and overwhelmed, He has never left or forsaken me, even in the darkest of nights.
As hard as it is to share my story, I ask that you please share my story with others. My daughter and I need all the help we can get.
May all the glory go to my Lord, Jesus Christ! Thank you and God bless you.
Meghan and Penelope
1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”