The father of an 8-year-old girl filed a complaint against the guardian ad litem that was assigned to represent his daughter in his custody case after his former wife was arrested for attempting to hire a man to kill him. The murder-for-hire plot took place about three years after the husband filed for divorce in 2009. Throughout the ordeal, the mother has retained custody of the child.
Shortly after the girl’s mother was arrested for allegedly offering a maintenance man $5,000 to kill her former husband, the maternal grandparents filed a motion for custody. Two months later, the girl’s father filed for immediate custody. Without providing an explanation, the judge denied his petition. The child’s mother alleges that he is unfit to care for the child based on a psychological evaluation that found him to have depression and a personality disorder. The father was also arrested for violating a restraining order in 2009.
The father has also made disparaging claims against his daughter’s mother, saying that she is addicted to drugs. The Department of Children and Families provided documents to the court showing substantiated reports of abused and neglect perpetrated by the mother.
While this case is unusual, it serves as an example for the many difficulties that might surface during child custody proceedings. A parent who is pursuing custody of a child may be obligated to provide evidence that such an arrangement would be in the child’s best interest. A family law attorney may be able to help individuals gather such evidence and present a case in court.
Source: CBS Connecticut, “Conn. Dad Seeks Custody After Alleged Ex Hit Plot“, Dave Collins, March 01, 2014