My name is Amanda Osborn and I live in Sumter, SC. A child needs BOTH parents involved in their lives. I don’t want to take them from their dad, but I just want FAIR. I don’t feel that’s asking too much. I am going through a custody battle with my ex-husband and his family. They know anyone and everyone who's in power in town, as well as own half or more of it. I'm at a disadvantage and they are not skipping the opportunity to completely screw me. We had mediation BEFORE the children were assigned a guardian ad litem (against State Law), but I can't do anything without an attorney. When me and my ex were married, he came up with an agreement that we’d never use the kids as weapons or keep them from the other parent. I guess that only applied when he was in jail/rehab & I had the kids. Even after he married we were coparenting fine, then out of the blue I get served with papers at the same time that he doesn’t pay his half of our daughters phone bill for 3 months(approx $350). Ever since they have done nothing but take advantage of me not coming from money & my dad sick with cancer knowing I wouldn’t ask my parents for help on this. From the first court date we had where they paid the judge off, I was told I wasn’t allowed to speak when I was trying to tell him I needed more time to find an attorney that wasn’t under his family’s influence, and that’s when my ex “legally” moved the kids 3 hours away, never told me anything. Even though I’m my own attorney and I asked his attorney for months for proof he was allowed to move the kids, he never answered and didn’t send me the proof until 3 months later. This family I’m fighting against there’s no way to win without an attorney because of how much pull they have in town. I know things and when I first married him, his family offered me $10,000 to leave(literally called me a gold digging whore):that’s how I know they’re playing dirty. Plus, all the facts of them being dirty are right there. They didn’t even care that they didn’t give the children a voice before mediation which is also a state law. It’s not fair! I’m being railroaded by this family. I'm going to put in here what I can too, but I need help. I am a hard worker who works every day and a lot of weekends. I hope that as people see that I'm putting in towards it, that you will want to help out too. Thank you in advance for helping and if you can’t help financially I understand, but keep me and my children in your prayers please. I have found an attorney finally after calling & meeting with quite a few, that isn’t under the family’s influence and said he would take my case & knows my history and my exes history with violence. Please help me bring my children home. Fight for fair