Custody Case between mother & grandmother; PA; Lies & manipulation?

Question

Okay, so my question pretty much sums it all up. My daughter's father does not see her, which was his own decision. I was young when I had my oldest daughter and messed up pretty bad (I had just gotten through a seperation with her father, and was unstable). I wanted to go out and have my fun while my daughter was still at home (LONG story, I was never allowed out in HS and I got pregnant with her right after graduation.) I was living at home with my mother at the time. Instead of watching my daughter for me, like everyone did for HER when she was that age with me, she took me to court for custody of my daughter. She basically badgered me til I gave in and signed custody over, because she kept telling me I wouldn't win because I had no job & lived with her. In the original custody paperwork my mother filed, she lied REPEATEDLY. Sorry, thats the background.

Her lawyer & her got the custody agreement to say that I get to see my daughter once every week for 3 hours, and that I was allowed to have weekend visitations as long as I didn't move from the county I was living in (which she knew was impossible for me to stay in the county because my fiance works for a different county and has to stay in that county, and i was moving with him). Now.. I want to get my weekend visitations back, and have my fiance's name put on the custody agreement (we have another child together, and he thinks of my oldest as his own). How do I go about filing for this? Do I file a modification? And will I have to pay filing fees if I'm the defendant in the original case? The case was filed in Delaware County originally, and my mother lives in that county. I live in Philadelphia county. Can I win custody back if I prove my mother's testimony to get the paperwork was all lies?

Answer 1

Judges don't care very much about parents who lie.(unless they are big lies). he looks at what the lawyer's present. You cannot have the husbands name on the original aggreement, that paper is final and documnetd and it is filed in court. but you can petition for a new hearing to change the circumsatnces  that you believe you need now. A Good family lawyer who has at least 10 years experience is what you need to look for. Ask if he offers a free consultation to review what your asking for ?Please tell him you have another child with the same man and that everything is fine with that situation and your financial situation can provide for both children and discuss how ell you care for the child and your reasons for regaining custody of the other child. You will have to pay for attorney fees .But it's your best resource for getting the child back or having visitation restored.