Q: Signed my rights over in 2016, now im sober 2 years and want my son more. Where do I even begin?
I signed over my rights to my son, who was 5 at the time, to his father. I was still in active addiction and when he filed for custody, I knew it was best for my son. My ex told me i would still have my rights, just not custody. He lied. All my rights were taken and I was only given supervised visits, but at his discretion. This was January 2006. I went to rehab late that year and was there until March 2018, when i relapsed. I was seeing him every Tuesday at that time for 2 hours. In September 2018, I ended up in the hospital and had my left leg amputated and had to have heart valve surgery, I have been clean since. I wasnt able to see or talk to my son the entire time. In 2019, I was able to see him about 8 times. All supervised. His dad told me when I got a place, my son could stay the night. In May, I got my own place. He has been able to come over 3 times unsupervised, but hasnt been able to stay the night. I want more time. My son wants more time. Where do I start?
A: It doesn't sound like your parental rights were terminated. The father has sole legal custody. What you would need to do is file a motion for specific parenting time. It's a slow and gradual process; the court is not going to immediately jump to 50 / 50 custody here. But as you make progress, things can change.
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