Chandler, AZ asked in Divorce, Family Law, Child Custody and Child Support for Arizona

Q: what can I do if my kids come home from their dads and cry about him yelling and screaming and telling them I don’t love

We have temporary orders and I have the. Primarily my attorney doesn’t respond to any of my emails or help me what so ever!!

He is over 10k behind in child support and is a pathological liar! I also have a restraining order against him for threatening to kill me!

1 Lawyer Answer
Randi Sirlin
Randi Sirlin
Answered
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Licensed in Arizona

A: If your attorney does not respond to your emails, that is a problem. Your attorney has a duty to communicate with you.

If your children come home and tell you the Father is yelling and screaming and saying you don't love your children, the first thing I would tell your children is, "I am sorry your dad said that. I love you very much." Never bad mouth the other parent even if they are doing it.

If there is a problem with the children in the father's home, you can take a number of steps, including asking for a court advisor to be appointed, asking to have the children interviewed (the judge will decide if they are old enough to talk to a counselor who will report to the court-and you can ask that you and the dad not know what is said so your children can speak freely), a change in parenting time, whether supervised parenting time is necessary, etc.

Also, the fact that you have temporary orders does not mean you cannot file for new temporary orders.

My advice to you is to ask your lawyer for a copy of your file (including the lawyer's notes) and consult with an experienced family law attorney who will put you first.

However, make sure the attorney lets you know when all deadlines and court hearings are set. If you will need more time to prepare because of problems with your attorney, you (or your new lawyer) will ask for that.

I hope this answer is helpful to you.

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