My daughters dad has been absent for five years. We had a relationship in which of course I got pregnant I found out he was actually engaged. He told me if I had the baby we would not be able to be together and if i wanted to continue the relationship I would have an abortion of course I did not decide for an abortion. So he stopped talking to me. I made efforts to try to get ahold of him in which he would ask his family to not give me his phone information. He has seen her when she was three months six months and last year in October of 2018. He has summoned me suing for joint custody stating he did not know of her existence until September of 2018 and that we only had one intimate encounter that we did not have any type of relationship. How can I go about this.
As Ms. Whitbeck suggests, he is entitled to custody of some type, and joint physical custody is possible. But if you can prove he has only seen the child a few times since birth, it's less likely he will end up with joint. You will certainly want to have an experienced custody attorney working with you.
Ultimately he can get joint custody. You need to hire an attorney and respond to his paperwork with an Answer and Counterclaim. You need to gather your evidence and prepare for court. The judge has to decide what custody/visitation situation is in the best interests of the child, utilizing 13 separate factors. If you cannot afford an attorney, you need to at least consult with one to better understand both your rights and your responsibilities.
