Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a while since most of you have heard from me. I wish I could tell you that my son James and I have been away somewhere, living our best lives. Unfortunately, the truth is something different.

Since 2019, I have been locked in an unending legal battle to protect myself and my disabled son from my abusive ex-husband. The courts have consistently found me to be in the right and have repeatedly ruled against my ex-husband. However, he refuses to abide by the judge's orders, dragging us back into court. He refuses to pay a single cent of his substantial court-ordered debt to me, although he somehow manages to continue paying his own lawyers. I hope that I am almost to a place where I can leave this conflict behind me, but I need help to pay for what will hopefully be my final round of legal costs. I know that times are hard for everyone, but if you or someone you know can help me end this battle by donating to my legal fund, that is what I am asking for today.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is not easy for me to beg others for money, but I felt encouraged to share my story and ask my community for help. After 4.5 years of litigation, including a 4-day trial in May 2023, the court issued official restrictions against my ex-husband under the Revised Code of Washington 26.09.191. The judge found him to have committed domestic abuse including parental neglect (including psychological damage) and an abusive use of conflict. He was ordered to pay back all of the nearly $70,000 dollars that I had been forced to pay in legal fees since filing the original emergency custody motion in December 2020. He now has no legal custody of our son, extremely limited visitation, and was ordered to have no contact with all of James’ providers, teachers, and caregivers.

I wish I could say that was the end of it. Instead, my ex-husband has only continued his pattern of control and abuse. Just weeks after trial, my ex-husband engaged in threating behavior towards James’ therapists, putting us at risk of losing James’ most critical disability services. To protect my son, and to simply enforce the orders that the court has already issued, I have been forced to file a motion for contempt that I can scarcely afford. In retaliation my ex-husband has filed his own abusive and false contempt charges against me. I am confident that the court will see the truth of the matter and I will prevail, but I must also pay to defend myself against these bad-faith attacks. We are due back in court later this month.

My son James was diagnosed with ASD in 2019 at age 2.5. It became my full-time job providing care for this beautiful, sweet baby boy with profound autism, as a single parent, while also paying for a truly horrific and never-ending legal battle. In 2022, I had to give up my dream job working as a pastry cook at a French bakery in my hometown in Oregon, because it was impossible to balance with the needs of my son. I sold our home in Washington in 2021, I sold our vehicle in 2022 -- I have sold everything I have ever owned of any value. Everything that I have has gone to provide for my son and protect us from my abusive ex-husband. To date, I have spent a total of $107,294.17 in legal fees.

Simply put: I am now completely out of options. I have spent the last 5 years hoping to find myself at a place where I can let go of this conflict and be free of the abuse and simply move on with my life. Now that I am truly close, I am desperate to see this through to the end and finally have some relief. I am now finally asking for help. I have tried to be brave. I have stood up to my abusive and neglectful ex-husband, but he won’t let us go without a fight. I am winning our legal battle in court, but I am out of funds -- money which my ex-husband owes me, but refuses to pay. I have tried to do the right thing, and it has been harder than I ever imagined.

If you can help, please consider doing so. Please share this fundraiser with anyone who might help. Every bit helps. You have my eternal gratitude.

With Love,

Katie