Written by I am a father of four children in Collin County, Texas who is experiencing the anguish of a custody dispute in the family court system. My spouse and I have been separated for more than seven years and I have still not been able to get my divorce completed.
The current case was filed over a year and a half ago and there is no sign of it completing anytime soon (this case has actually been filed four seperate times!). The tragedy is that my soon-to-be-ex has systematically brainwashed my four children to the point where they will have nothing to do with me.
My youngest, Emily, is just over 7 years old and I have always had a special relationship with her. But under pressure from her mother and oldest siblings, even she will no longer speak with me. I had a great relationship with these children (whom I dearly love) right up to the point when this action was filed in September of 2008. You can probably imagine the anguish and heartbreak I have felt as each of them slipped away.
I was given the name of a very expensive attorney in McKinney who talked a great game about involving a custody evaluator, counselor, etc…. I put my trust and hopes in these “professionals” that they would objectively review what was happening and hopefully find a way to minimize any permanent damage to my kids and their relationship with me and my family (they have been extremely close to my parents and their cousins for their entire lives).
Instead, I was ambushed by a group of biased parasites who have only made the problems worse. It is so bad now, I have essentially come to accept that my children will grow up without their father in their lives (how unfair to them). I have not been accused of abusing them or neglecting them. These third-parties have instead simply decided to take the side of my STBX and have let her continue to emotionally abuse these kids. And just to be clear, I never asked anyone to take “my side”. I only wanted these people to see that these children have a father who has always loved and supported them, in it is in their “best interest” to have them in their lives.
These people (again, brought in by my attorney), have lied and mischaracterized virtually everything. I thought I had protected myself to some extent by recording most of the sessions with the counselor and evaluator, but ultimately I believe that will not matter in court. Our divorce trial was set for June 28th, but my lawyer withdrew from my case last week after taking more than $20,000 and doing absolutely nothing. I now find myself in a situation to which there seems no solution.
This leads me to my reason for writing to you. Through this entire process, I have had a gut feeling that something has been wrong and that this system is not focused on “the best interests of the child” at all. Nobody has won in my conflict other than the lawyers, counselor, and custody evaluator (who has now recommended that I start seeing a friend of hers for counseling and that my STBX and I see another friend of hers as a “parenting facilitator”).
I have searched high and low on the internet for any bit of information about this system and its players, but there has been almost nothing. So I have decided to start a site that will function as a resource and community for the people in our county that are becoming sucked into this system.
Check out Colling County Corruption
My experience over the last 18 months has also put me in contact with CPS. I know first-hand what they are up to and I am personally acquainted with two mothers who are being unfairly targeted by them. For that reason, I am devoting an entire area of the forum to DFPS/CPS interactions so that local citizens can share information.
There is no political agenda behind this other than to expose the unfair practices and outright corruption that is so rampant in the judicial system here in Collin County. I will admit that I have always been politically conservative, but my disgust with what has taken place is non-partisan. I am hoping to build awareness in the site, get people to post their experiences and share their knowledge so that other parents and their children will be spared the heartbreak I have experienced.
(And as a quick note, I do not believe there is any gender-bias in what is happening. I am personally aware of both women and men who are being “victimized” by the family courts.)
The reason I decided to put this site together is that I realized the only way things will ever change is if people are made aware of what takes place and share their personal experiences. I also believe that for any action to be effective, it must be local.
Kind regards,
David
I just love it when people get fed up and turn their energy toward productive ventures. I get child protection workers and foster care providers telling me how wonderful their “services” are.
Come on David, when you read all these stories, watch the videos and talk to people, even a blind man could tell something is seriously wrong. The system is broken and should be shut down period. No exceptions. The federal government has no business what-so-ever in the child abuse business. Each program needs to be ran locally. No two communities are the same, they don’t face the same issues — except perhaps a shortage of cash
For some reason, it wouldn’t let me type any more. hm Great job on the website. I would encourage anyone with a story to use my.kidjacked.com to tell their own story. Even if you already have a blog or website, use My Kidjacked to link back to your own site. Post occasional updates and speak out. No voice is too small.
I am also a victim of collin county … see my website http://almosttuesday.wordpress.com. my son was 8 years old when i was separated from him at the corrupt hand of collin county, texas. He is 15 years old now, and i’ve had literally NO contact in all that time.
Dave,
How may I reach you?
I need help my case is so bad and ongoing for 8 years + my ex has taken my children and I’m now being constantly threatened with a month in jail and I am a single mom working 3 jobs who has never done anything against the law in my life and because my ex has money I’m now struggling and paying him money that you can’t even imagine and we have paid for a social study and child facilitators and on and on and he comes back and sues me over and over and I have no choice but to struggle and figure out how to pay him and attorneys or the judge seriously is threatening me with jail. I’m at my end and so beyond devastated and have lost so much time with my babies that I did everything for while my ex built his huge career. I first got 0 in my divorce and over 8 years later I’m still able to be attacked non-stop… even with an attorney… I’m told that’s just how the system works and there is no such thing as fair in family court. I can not wrap my head around how my children not having their loving, devoted mother in their daily lives is anywhere near in their best interest. It’s so absolutely disappointing because I went to college for political science and worked in a law firm and I’m so utterly disgusted at the entire system and how they can’t see or find the truth at all! I believe in both parents (if of sound mind etc should have equal custody and be able to love the children they brought into this world. I’m settling for the 17th time tomorrow and paying his attorney fees when I can now hardly afford food these days from 8 years of pure hell. I need some kind of help or someone to tell me if there is anything else I can do. My children are the ones suffering the most and love and miss me too.