Wish you the best of luck!

by Ryland
(Houston, Texas)

Thats what the lady Atty told me as we were leaving the office: I wanted to tell her to go &%#& herself.

Here's my story, I have 5 kids total, 3 that I have custody over, another that is 13 who lives with her mother, and a 3 year old, who also lives with her mother.

I was married for 10 years to a wonderful lady in the beginning, after our 3rd arrival, she started abusing pain pills, and depression medication. It was too the point that CPS, was involved, and she would tell them that I physically abused her and she was afraid of me. So being a woman, they protected her privacy. It took me several months, trying to locate my family, without CPS's help of course.

I told them that she does have a drug problem, and that I would like to know the where abouts of my children. They then wanted us to get drug testing, so I went as requested, and when it was her appointment time, she would post-pone it to a later day, as always. Even until today, she still never was tested through CPS.

During that period of 3-4 months, I went through a terrible depression, I locked my self in my home, I didn't go anywhere, or socialize with friends or family, I stayed at home. Then oneday, an old friend called, I expressed my feelings, and she then offered to come clean the house and bring some groceries over and visit. Well a few drinks and a couple of beers, I found myself waking up the next morning, with my friend laying in the bed. Not remembering what all happened, she reassured me that we didn't do anything!

Well a few months later, she called my job, to announce to me that she was about 3-4 months along. I asked her, how could this be possible, she said that she did sleep with me that night.

Towards the end of the conversation, she stated that she didn't want anything from me, and that her and boyfriend were going to raise the child, and she wouldn't tell him, that there may be another father.

Well after the horrible battle with my ex, during the divorce, and fighting for custoday of my children, the so called friend, calls and says she is filing child support on me.

Well now, I am raising 3 kids on my own, with no help, I also pay 600 a month to someone else, and a child, I still don't know for sure is mine.

The reason why I didn't get a paternity test right away, is becasue they were willing to drop the back support and lower the child support an addition $70.00, if I agreed right then and there. Back childsupport of $13,000.00.

The only thing I was thinking about then, was trying to save what little I can, for the kids I do have.

And to top it off, the visitations was set-up as to where it could take me years, before I could bring the child home, and that's if I give up my only Saturdays, to drive across town.

I hate to be a dead-beat dad, but I don't think it is fair at all, that I do have to pay her child-support, when she is bring home almost the same amount as me, but I have to provide for 3 kids.

So now 1 child is recieving more than the other 4 kids, that I do have. And as for as my oldest daughters mom, becasue we agreed out of court, so that the OAG wouldn't receive all my daughters money, they only gave me credit for .75% for my oldest, and to the lady that filed on me, so that the OAG can make some money, she gets 13.46%. And out of the $600.00 I pay, the OAG receives $225.00 for their pockets.

I am really to the point of giving up my rights to this child, so that I can feed the ones that I do have.