Help Me Finish This 16-Year Fight

For 16 years, I have been navigating a family court battle that has reshaped every part of my life. The last 3½ years required me to relocate from California to Washington to protect my child and rebuild from nothing. I sold everything. I left my career. I walked away from the life I had built and started over with nothing but determination.

I have represented myself through hundreds of hearings and multiple trials — including a five-day trial — without an attorney. Not because I wanted to, but because I could not afford one. Self-representation in family court is never by choice. It is survival. Most parents never imagine standing alone in courtrooms multiple times over years. I have. I have learned as I went, filed motions, prepared declarations, and stood alone while trying to protect my child.

This has been an abusive, non-consensual experience with the court system itself — a system that is supposed to support families but has instead created barriers and hardship. I have faced impossible obstacles while trying to do right by my child. I have had no guidance, no support, and no attorney. I have been forced to navigate rules, deadlines, and obligations that feel stacked against parents like me.

The process has taken a toll financially, professionally, physically, and mentally. There are days I carry more than I let anyone see. I keep showing up anyway. I have made sacrifices I never imagined I would have to make — canceling my insurance, relying on the food bank weekly, carefully budgeting even for gas. This fight has cost me stability, my career, and much of the life I worked for.

Over the past 3½ years, I worked tirelessly to get my child the care she needed — fighting against repeated delays, lies, and resistance from her other parent. It took months of persistence, documentation, and navigating court procedures just to secure her safety and support. I have carried this weight because I have to — because no one else can.

I am now at the final procedural step of my appeal. The Superior Court requires payment to transfer the clerk’s papers to the higher court. Without that transfer, the appeal cannot move forward. The deadline is Wednesday, and I am hoping to secure the funds by Monday to ensure it is processed in time.

Even after this step, the work continues. I will still need to prepare and respond to the appellate brief in the coming months. Representing myself has become a full-time job — one that doesn’t pay. In fact, it costs. Financially, emotionally, mentally. The current court-ordered financial obligations leave me with almost nothing to cover basic living needs, let alone unexpected costs like this transfer fee.

Immediate Need: $600 is urgently required by Monday to complete the transfer and keep this appeal alive.

Ongoing Support: Any additional contributions help cover costs over the next few months — including filing fees, printer toner and paper, and basic expenses while representing myself full-time. This support allows me to keep moving forward and maintain stability for my child and me during this final stage.

Total Goal: $2,000–$2,100 — covering the urgent transfer fee and ongoing expenses while I continue this appeal.

After 16 years, I cannot let this end because I lack a few hundred dollars. This fight is about protecting my child, standing for fairness, and navigating a system that has caused immense hardship instead of support. I am ready to rebuild my life, but I cannot do this final step alone.

If you feel moved to contribute — whether before or after the deadline — any support makes a difference. Contributions can be sent via Venmo or PayPal, or directly at the courthouse — I can provide the case number privately.

I am still standing. I just need help finishing this.

Thank you for standing with me.