How can i increase my chances of getting custody....

Question

My daughter is 7 my ex and i have always agreed on visitation and access (we split when she was 13 months old.) I recently tried to move Australian states as my new hubby is in the Army and he was posted to QLD. My daughter was with me in QLD for 3 months and she went for a visit with him and he refused to return her. She was with him for 4 days and i went and picked her up whilst he was at work. He got a recovery order which has since been overturned by myself on appeal but only after she spent 4 weeks with him whilst i was waiting on the court date for the appeal.. My daughter was on agreement with myself and my ex sent to live with my mother until another court date. My ex has got a lot of money and his girlfriends family who have also become involved are very influential people with lots and lots of $$$.. My ex is not a bad person and my only gripe is that my daughter has more of a relationship with his girlfriend and his girlfriends family rather then with her father and his parents.. For example i got a Private investigator for 2 of the 4 weeks she was with him.. In 2 of those 4 weeks her father did not drop her off or pick her up from school.. IT was the girlfriends mother every time.. I am angry that they would try and deny a relationship between me and my daughter and my other 2 children all so she can spend time with people who are not related to her.. Now that she is closer to him distance wise he's picking her up 1 weekend a month. Should i relocate back to my mothers until the hearing to spend adequate time with her but that also means leaving my employment and pulling my other 2 children out of child care which was really hard to get and of course leaving my husband thousands of km's and basically living as a single mother yet again..

Answer 1

Blessed (in answers), she lives in Australia, and moved from one state to another. Not Country's!

I think it's going to be a long road. maybe the father is worried ur trying to remove his daugther from his life completely. The sad thing about all this, is the effect it will have on ur child. Two parents fighting over her. You and the father need to talk this through with eachother and no one else. (maybe lawyers). I hope you get a good result soon. xo

Answer 2

you know what, this is going to sound harsh but you need to move back to the US so that you can be with your daughter. I love my husband but if I had to chose between him and my daughter it would be her, hands down. At least until you can get custody. Your hubby needs to try to be relocated to the US if possible. As far as the PI finding that his gf is spending time with her, it wont hold up in court. As the father of the child, he is legally within his rights leaving her with any responsible adult that he chooses. He is the father and frankly if I were him I would be angry that you were trying after all of that time of being in agreement, to suddenly move my child out of the country. I know you love your husband and want your family to be together. You should not have to give up your child so that you could be with him. But her father shouldnt have to either.