...and then he went to court, and reality hit him right square in the nuts.
Some of you guys must be living in Disneyland.
No, I was raised around this stuff. There was a time when custody battles were hardly battles at all, they were so one sided for the mother's side. It wasn't even something you could contest and hope to win. Obviously, there's still a long way to go. But seriously, fathers can win significant custody rights. It used to be not that long ago, fathers never got custody, except in special circumstances, and had very limited custody rights. We're living in the age of child custody reform, believe it or not:freak: All I was saying about getting a laywer is to go to the source. Try to get the lawyer that your lawyer associate would get for himself/herself if s/he were facing a divorce and custody battle. Then get them to call ahead for you. Can go a long way, at times, towards the attorney you work with treating you professionally while also not always being on the clock when you talk to them, overcharging you, giving you viable options to help your case and lower costs along the way, etc. But it will cost you, just the same.