My name is Hunter, and I’m the father of a 7-month-old baby girl Tatum.

I almost never post on Facebook and I rarely ask anyone for anything, but this situation has reached a point where I need legal protection to stay consistently involved in my daughter’s life. This is not something I wanted to make public, but I don’t have another option right now.

Her mother and I recently separated. We struggled with communication as first-time parents, and we both contributed to those issues. I take responsibility for my part. After the breakup, she moved with our daughter from Florida to Kinston, North Carolina — about 6 hours away — and she did so without a formal relocation agreement or parenting plan.

Before leaving, she told me she would sign a written parenting agreement. But shortly after leaving (January 11th believe) with our daughter, she changed her position, and nothing has been signed after multiple attempts to make any sort of agreement . Because there is no agreement, I went from seeing my daughter every day to going to what will be over a month without any in-person contact and no written agreement to stand by. My next visit isn’t until early March, which will make it almost four weeks between visits during a crucial bonding stage of her early development.

Traveling to see her is extremely expensive. A single weekend trip is close to $1,000 once you include gas, lodging, food, and missed work. This is while I’m working full-time and taking a full course load to finish my bachelor’s degree so I can build a better future for myself and my daughter.

Throughout this situation, I have tried my best to avoid emotional or disrespectful messages, even while dealing with frustration. Despite that effort, she has told people that I text her daily to cuss her out or call her names. That is strictly false. I have every message saved and I am willing to show proof of exactly how I communicated.

If anyone believes otherwise, I encourage them to ask her directly for her receipts as well so you can form your own opinion based on facts. I have absolutely nothing to hide and firmly believe TRUTH DOES NOT NEED VOLUME because it shows up in the receipt's.

I want to be clear:

No one should view my daughter’s mother in a negative light.

We have both been through a lot, and emotions are high and the adjustment is very tough and emotional! We simply cannot come to terms on our own right now. That is exactly why legal intervention is necessary. This is not about punishing or attacking her — it is about ensuring fairness, structure, and stability for our daughter.

I have made multiple attempts to create a voluntary agreement without involving the courts, but we have not been able to reach one. At this point, I need legal representation to make sure my rights are protected as her father, and I cannot allow this situation to continue without proper clarity and structure.

To make that possible, I need an attorney to help me:

• Establish paternity formally

• Set up a custody and visitation plan

• Ensure both parents follow Florida law

• Prevent long gaps in time-sharing

• Protect my parental rights

Attorney retainers cost several thousand dollars, and court filing fees alone are hundreds. I work hard, but this situation happened suddenly and I do not have the savings to cover everything upfront.

Any support — even just sharing this so just maybe it gets in front of someone who knows someone who can help — is truly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read my situation.