My name is Jessica Hobbs.

My sister, Kara, is going through an incredibly difficult custody and divorce situation involving her three children after nearly two decades in the relationship.

For over 13 years, she has been the children’s primary caregiver — the one who raised them, handled school, doctors, daily routines, and provided the stability and consistency they rely on. While she was doing that, her husband focused on building his business.

Throughout the relationship, she continued to be a supportive wife and made repeated efforts to make the marriage work, even during very difficult circumstances.

Over the years, she endured a sustained pattern of emotional, verbal, and psychological abuse, including being degraded, devalued, and treated as less than. She was also repeatedly betrayed in ways that further undermined trust and stability within the relationship. Her husband allowed others close to him to treat Kara in harmful and disrespectful ways over time and did not make any real or meaningful effort to set appropriate boundaries, allowing that dynamic to continue and erode the foundation of the relationship. Over time, these repeated experiences had a profound impact on Kara’s sense of self-worth and identity, while she continued to show up every single day for her children. Everything they are — their values, their routines, the way they’ve been raised — comes from her consistency and care.

This is only a fraction of what she has endured over time. In addition to this pattern of treatment, there were also instances of physical aggression involving objects in her immediate surroundings. On one occasion, an object was thrown directly at her face in the presence of a child. On another, a footstool was forcefully kicked toward her feet from behind while she was descending the stairs, also in the presence of a child, creating a dangerous situation where she could have been knocked off balance and seriously injured. These actions created a real and ongoing fear of physical harm and contributed to an environment that felt unsafe and unpredictable over time.

Kara and her husband initially attempted to resolve matters through a cooperative dissolution process. During that time, conditions were introduced regarding how the separation would proceed. These conditions functioned as a means of control rather than a genuine effort toward resolution, and the expectations continued to shift over time, creating a moving target that made the process unworkable. Ultimately, the dissolution process broke down, and the matter transitioned into a contested divorce.

As things progressed, the dynamic shifted in a way that increasingly limited Kara’s ability to make independent decisions and move forward on her own terms. Expectations, pressure, and control began to shape the situation, making it more restrictive over time. It ultimately reached a point where she no longer felt safe in her own home. She didn’t just “leave” — she was put in a position where she had no safe or reasonable choice but to go in order to protect herself and her children.

After taking steps to protect herself, including filing for a Civil Protection Order, the situation escalated further. Within just over a week, he filed for custody and child support, despite no change in the children’s circumstances or safety. The timing of these filings strongly suggests they were reactive and retaliatory in nature, rather than driven by any immediate concern for the children.

There have also been serious financial challenges. Throughout the relationship, he controlled the finances and business decisions, including taking on over $2 million dollars in loan obligations that she signed onto in good faith as a supportive spouse, without having any real say or transparency.

Since the separation, he has provided very little financial support despite having access to significantly greater financial resources. She’s been left to carry the full financial burden on her own — both the legal costs and everything that comes with it day to day. This ongoing lack of support, despite clear need, has created significant financial pressure and placed her at a disadvantage in securing appropriate spousal and child support.

She is currently representing herself in court while receiving guidance from the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, but the situation is becoming overwhelming without proper legal representation. On top of that, she is close to exhausting all of her PTO and vacation time just trying to keep up with court, work, and caring for her children.

Despite everything, she continues to work full-time and provide a safe, stable, and loving environment for her kids.

This fundraiser is to help her secure legal representation and maintain stability for her children during this incredibly challenging time.

If you know Kara, you know she stands as both the foundation beneath her children and the one who watches over them — everything in their lives has been shaped by her presence.

She has spent years being the constant for her children — the one who shows up, holds everything together, and makes sure they are okay. Right now, she’s fighting to keep that stability in place, and she needs support to do it.