“Since my childhood, a strong work ethic and appreciation for family was instilled in me. I grew up as a biracial adopted child helping my Mennonite family tend to thousands of chickens and hundreds of veal calves on sprawling farmland in Ohio.
As I grew older and started a family of my own, I continued caring for farm animals until just three years ago when we moved into a more urban area of Washington. I wanted to give my children a similar experience growing up but felt trapped and limited by an abusive relationship.
The father of my youngest daughter slowly became verbally and physically abusive over the decade that we lived together. Though we were not married, our lives were intertwined with a child in common. I gathered the courage to leave him but feared that he would come after me or my children. I navigated the court system independently to successfully petition for a restraining order against him.”
Lies and more lies
“Shortly after, in an attempt to take away my rights to our child, he went to the courts spreading false allegations about my new relationship and my parenting. The next few years were a constant back-and-forth in court, trying to protect my daughter without the representation of an attorney.
My child’s father was frequently in contempt of court but had financial resources from his family to afford legal support. We came to a turning point when my rights to our daughter were denied for nearly a year and a half. During that time, my daughter was in Oregon, making legal intervention more difficult.
Finally, after calling Child Protective Services (CPS) and speaking with legal aids in Oregon, I was put in touch with Northwest Justice Project (NJP) in Washington. Since the case originated here, NJP would be able to assist with my legal representation.”
A battle for custody
“Catherine, my NJP attorney, was just the right fit for my situation and gave me hope. She answered all my questions and seemed very knowledgeable about family law matters. With my daughter temporarily back in my custody, I worked hard with Catherine to prepare for court but was preoccupied by the fear of my daughter going back into the care of her father.
Thanks to Catherine’s quick work and advocacy, the court became aware of the reports of physical abuse endured by my daughter in Oregon and the involvement of CPS. After several continuances and delays, the parenting plan was modified to give me primary custody of my daughter.
I was beyond relieved to be finally done with over six years of back-and-forth in court. More importantly, I knew that my youngest daughter was finally safe in my care.”