Help David & Becky Barnett and Family
Dear family, friends, and colleagues:
Cade is back home with us, but we still have to work out a visitation agreement with the other party. We aren’t in agreement so we will be looking at a hearing again probably in January which means more traveling and lawyer fees. We are grateful to have gotten primary custody, but unfortunately it’s been a long and trying time for us all
You may or may not know that my sister and her husband (Rebecca Barnett (Zaker) and David Barnett) have been in custody battle for their son Cade since summer of last year. This is no typical custody battle. A close friend (much older and without children of their own) who used to be their nanny decided to bring a custody suit against my sister and David when they moved from TX to GA last summer. She grew too attached and wanted only custody of Cade who is 3.5 years old now. My nephew Cade has 3 other siblings. Texas has some bizarre and loose laws that allowed the "friend" to have Cade every other month after the first hearing in October of last year. This was heartbreaking but complicated more by the fact that Becky and the "friend" live a 1,000 miles away from each other. Becky and David are both great parents but got manipulated during a vulnerable time of grief after my father died and mother had a severe stroke a few days later. They thought the friend was trying to help by watching him during work and during the time that my sister needed to travel to help with mom's and dad's affairs.
Fast forward to 10/7/19 where myself and David's mother traveled to GA and TX to appear in court and testify on Becky and David's behalf. Thankfully the judge looked at this case through the appropriate lens and awarded my sister and her husband custodial (primary custody). Due to the complexity of the situation the "friend" has been given "visitation". We are not sure what that is going to look like at this time but could unfortunately could result in more court and travel fees.
We are thrilled that Becky is picking up Cade on 10/31 from the "friend" in but has to travel to and back from Texas to do so. This means plane tickets for her and Cade, car rental, food etc totaling close to $800. Over the past year my sister and her husband have spent approximately $5,000 in travel, as up until now they had to pick up Cade from the "friend" every other month in Texas due to the initial court ruling. The emotional and financial toll has been disabling. In addition they have had to come up with over $20,000 in legal fees. Thankfully a few immediate family members have been able to assist a bit with that, but they still really need help with upcoming travel costs and recouping whatever they can from travel and lawyer costs over the past year.
This is has been an awful and trying time for all of us. I love my family and anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated by all of us. My sister, my mother and my nieces and nephews are all of I have left for blood relatives. My mother wants to see her grandson again and I want my nephew back. I know many of you are anxious to see the family reunited again. 