Q: Does the father of my two kids have the final say if we arent together (never married) but we live together or mother?
He goes over me in the decision making department. Mind you we are living seperate lives and he thinks he has the final say about anything that has to do with our kids and i told him that is not true. What can I do? Also we have been living together for 14 years and it's been nothing but toxic and 2 years ago is when I've been really trying to get away from this man
A: If the mother is not married to the father, then the mother has sole custody and makes all decisions regarding the children, including who can see them or not, and all decisions about school, medical, etc. Mother can prohibit all contact with father. Father has no rights until he establishes paternity, applies to the juvenile court, and the court grants him parental rights, such as specific time with the children. Use the Find a Lawyer tab to retain a local family law attorney to review your situation and advise you how to deal with the father. But as long as you remain living together, then it will be difficult to change anything.
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