Child custody
child custody attorney California Aug 13, 2026
Location: California Sorry if this is all over the place. I recently had a baby. I’m currently living with the father of my child but I’m trying to leave him and have questions regarding custody. Due to not getting paid during my maternity leave I had no other choice but to move with him onto his families property. At the time it felt like the smartest thing to do. The rent was half of what’s I was previously paying so my savings wouldn’t run out so quickly. We fought before I was pregnant but it never got physical. I love my child to death and I don’t regret having her but I was guilt tripped into keeping her by my religious mom and him. Weeks into moving in, he started abusing me. He knew I had no where to go. With no income and my mother living on section 8, I wasn’t able to go anywhere. Even now my financial issues have been what’s stopped me from being able to leave. Throughout my pregnancy there wasn’t a weekend where he wouldn’t physically abuse me and my dogs. There would be days where he would get so intoxicated (not just with alcohol with cocaine as well) he would throw all of my things out. I’ve never had the nerve to call the police on him. Living with his family I’m just scared they’d turn on me and cause me to lose my baby. I’m not saying I’m a saint because I do defend myself, say mean things to him. Physical i defend myself but the one time I fought back I ended up getting a black eye. I have many videos of the abuse…. Minutes of him throwing alcohol on me while I was 8 months pregnant begging him to stop…. Him so intoxicated, holding my baby, and I’m begging him to give her to me. I have multiple photos of the bruises on my face and body. I’ve asked his family for help and they just give him excuses. Before he was horrible when he was intoxicated and amazing when he was sober but now it’s when he’s sober as well. Now he doesn’t have a job anymore and I’m barely getting back on my feet but it’s a bit harder due to him not having a job. He’s constantly telling me how he feels bad for me because he can take my child away from me. Apparently his uncle will get him a good lawyer. He tells me he ALSO has videos of me. He’s recorded me during our fights when I’m already in distressed, crying and angry. I can see how that makes me look like a bad mother. There was a day I got drunk and he kept the baby away from me for 3 days. Only allowing me to see her once my “breast milk had no alcohol”. Because he doesn’t have a job he spends 10 hours 5 days a week with our baby. He says they have a better bond. He’s great with her and she does seem to prefer him over me. He says the judge will see that and side with him. But I continue to breast feed her and spend as much time when I’m off work. I’m getting closer to being able to financially be able to live on my own again. Because I stood this long, will that affect my custody? What are the chances of him being able to take my baby away from me?
