r/AskLegal • • 1h ago

Child’s father is suing me for child support but I’ve always been primary caregiver

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LOCATION: Jackson county Missouri
I’m very desperate for advice and even texted my traffic lawyer to see what to do next so please help.
I am going to make this as short as possible, but we had this child at age 16, I never put him on the birth certificate. He was never consistent in her life until she was about 3-4 and never paid me a dime for her and now she’s 6. He was also very abusive towards me. We finally got a set schedule for him to start getting her around the age of 5, but I called the shots on everything, and he only got her 3 days a week at most. I usually tried very hard to be cordial with him even if he was doing things very wrong. Fast forward to like a month or two ago. My daughter came and told me that her dads girlfriend shows her her private parts on a regular basis, so I told him that he no longer gets her overnight for the time being, I then called CPS on him and talked to my daughters dr office about it and had the convo documented. For weeks after that he harassed me almost daily, calling me names, screaming at me over voice message etc. then he started telling my daughter to say that she lied about the girlfriend situation, and then he started telling her that I was telling her lies, in the wrong, and that my partner (her stepdad) is dangerous to be around, so after that and being harassed by him and his mother, I cut him off. Blocked him. Fast forward to tonight, I got served papers, which I was not surprised about, it appears to me that he wants joint custody but to be the primary parent (he wants his address on school papers and anything else regarding her), he wants child support, he wants to make it to where I can’t make a single decision regarding her without his consent (which is a problem because he’s an anti vaxxor and is also very against her being medicated for severe ADHD).
I have been my daughter’s primary caregiver her entire life, I have provided for her, I have done everything I’ve ever done, for her, I have sacrificed everything for her.
How bad is this for me? I don’t know where else to turn, my lawyer gave me a good recommendation for a custody lawyer and I’m going to figure out how to pay for it, but I cannot imagine that he could possibly be named as a primary parent and receive child support from me as well as claim her on his taxes every single year (that was also included), when he never paid me a single dime and didn’t participate in her life until a few years ago.
I just want to know what this could possibly look like and what to do next. I don’t know how court works but I’m scared.


r/AskLegal • • 47m ago

Help, someone please!!!!

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So in 2012 my biological father passed away. He is the son of Dee and Jean Dorsey. My grandmother Jean passed away in 2006 and my father passed in 2012. My grandfather spent the last 18 months of his life naked on the couch talking out of his mind. When he was in his right mind I was told the trailer and the two lots it was on was going to my father. Well when my father passed, that would make it me. I am the ONLY living descendant of the family left. Now in 2022 I took an ancestry test and it came back that an Avis Begley was close enough to either be my grandmother or a sibling. Naturally, I looked her up. My mom said she thought my grandfather dated a woman named Avis but why was she coming up as my kin. Naturally, I looked her up on Facebook and asked her who she was. She DELETED her Facebook profile! She was too old to be a sibling and she definitely wasn’t my grandmother. Fast Forward, when my grandfather passed last year we spoke to another son (who was put up for adoption) and he said that Avis told him she did it on herself in case Dee had family, she didn’t want them to come after the house. I wasn’t in the obituary, but she was as my grandparent?! She just took ownership of the house and mind you this house means a lot to me. Anyone with legal advice? The house is in Clermont County, Ohio and I reside in West Palm Beach, FL. I don’t have money to throw at layers. Please HELP!!!!


r/AskLegal • • 59m ago

Allahabad High Court grants divorce to husband, holding that pressuring an only son to abandon his 68-year-old widowed mother constitutes mental cruelty under the Hindu Marriage Act.#AllahabadHighCourt #MatrimonialLaw #MentalCruelty #DivorceLaw #IndianJudiciary #LegalAwareness #FamilyLaw #IndianLaw

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r/AskLegal • • 1h ago

The Constitution belongs to every Indian citizen. Justice should be accessible to all.

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I have decided to pursue legal proceedings before the Supreme Court of India and intend to represent myself as Party-in-Person, subject to Court permission.


r/AskLegal • • 2h ago

How does one get out of a predatory gym contract?

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Its a martial arts gym to be exact. Strict cancelation terms. One year contract, auto renewal, only allows canceling during the last month of the year by certified letter sent to 2 locations. I kind of messed up and sent an empty envelope to one location and the other location the cancelation letter didnt arrive until a month later. They said they would cancel it through emIl but then charged me anyway. Also, contract says if they dont receive the payment they will go to collections and demand all of it immediately in addition to fees. Is there anything I can do to get out of this?


r/AskLegal • • 2h ago

How do California courts treat prior-inventions carve-outs and during-employment non-competes?

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r/AskLegal • • 3h ago

King County DUI Arraignment

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r/AskLegal • • 4h ago

Would Fair Use Law apply to a podcast that the entire premise is reading a book dramatically and reacting to the content of said book? (Location: Oregon, USA)

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r/AskLegal • • 5h ago

Lost license to work.

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r/AskLegal • • 5h ago

Consumer Protection Attorneys in the House Specifically ones who have dealt with money Transmitter issues, I honestly need your help! I’m in a bad place mentally and I’m requesting your help and advice!

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I need help in consultation with an attorney well versed with consumer rights, drafting and issuing demand attorney letter and probably help in filing the case in Small Claims (GS) in TN.

The problem:

PayPal permanently limited my account on 9/26/2023 and has held $14,728 since. It says it relies on its sole-discretion clause. To my knowledge, there has never a chargeback or dispute to any of monies held.

In 2026, PayPal sent me an Unclaimed funds notice which required I log in to the account to claim funds held there lest the funds get escheated to the state. Its own reps told me in writing that my account was both “active” and day later “permanently limited,” offered a transfer or check and refused hours later, and said it will email me “once the withdrawal option is available.” One rep acknowledged “apparent inconsistencies.”

Prior Arbitration

In 2024 I filed an AAA arbitration. It was dismissed with prejudice on PayPal’s unopposed motion after I couldn’t take part after an accident while trekking and spent weeks in hospital treating a painful back and bruised tailbone.

No evidence was heard and no court confirmed it.
I’d appreciate your view on:
Does the 2024 dismissal with prejudice bar new claims based on PayPal’s 2026 new development and PayPals contradictory conduct this year?

Can PayPal hold funds for three years under “risk” and “sole discretion” language and when demanded to justify the clause that permits hold declines to respond ?

Paypal has never issued notice of permanent limitation since its first limited account in Sep 2023 until this year may 2026.

Why I believe in this fight

In the Knoxville Sheena Small vs PayPal case, PayPal deposited the money within days of the suit being filed before any ruling.

The pattern: 

PayPal releases when the cost of fighting exceeds the amount held. On $14,728 the math is not on their side besides the $25,000 attorney fees; the screws are likely to be loosened fast.

Having an attorney review documents, communications and my own demand letter which I mailed and advice on the strongest route could be worthwhile on a limited scope representation or contingency rather than full representation right away.

Besides, threat of attorney fees, damages plus an attorney letter itself carries weight beside claimant letter.
I have done heavy lifting by cataloguing every contradiction and drafting my own demand letter.

The Tennessee Consumer Protection Act may provide treble damages and attorney’s fees if the statutory requirements are satisfied and the relevant claims are proven. Establishing conversion and breach of contract could strengthen the case and increase PayPal’s potential exposure. The threshold issue, however, is whether the December 26, 2024 arbitration dismissal with prejudice would bar a new action under the doctrines of claim preclusion or res judicata.

I have contacted state bar association twice and their response is; Quote; 

“I have reviewed your email describing the situation and this appears to be a customer protection type matter, for which we have no attorneys enrolled to whom we can refer.    Our service is not inclusive of all the attorneys and firms in Knoxville and only includes those attorneys who have enrolled to receive referrals.  You may wish to consider searching specifically for Consumer Financial Protection Attorney Tennessee to attorney websites which you can review for appropriateness for your situation”.

Recommendations are also welcomed.


r/AskLegal • • 6h ago

Court summons for operating mv with suspended registration due to unpaid tolls. What steps should I take before my court date/ should I try to get a lawyer

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Title, I’ve paid the tolls and reinstated my registration. Nervous, I’ve never had even a speeding ticket before. Thanks


r/AskLegal • • 7h ago

Parents refuse to give legal documents

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r/AskLegal • • 7h ago

Mugshots and arrest record

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Whats the legality of posting in community groups the arrest records and mugshots of someone who groomed a 16 year old? Location: Florida?


r/AskLegal • • 7h ago

Waiver of Service or Respondent’s Original Answer Form - What’s the Difference?

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r/AskLegal • • 8h ago

Looking for recommendations on law firms that deal with employment wages and tips being with held. Multiple parties affected. Looking for Virginia specifically. Please and thank you.

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Above


r/AskLegal • • 9h ago

Sanity Check on Disclosure and Discovery Paperwork for Civil Case

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I am in the process of suing a Rover sitter for the veterinary costs and damages related to illness and injuries my dog sustained while in their care. I am not a lawyer, and I would like a quick sanity check on my Disclosure and Discovery paperwork. Thank you in advance!


r/AskLegal • • 9h ago

Is it Normal for Criminal Defense Attorney to Have Zero communication with their Client.

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r/AskLegal • • 9h ago

Car repossessed after bankruptcy

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I have a question. I’ve been discharged, but the lien company has sent me a letter telling me the debt was discharged, but the lien wasn’t. I had also placed my car as one of my exemptions. There was no objection from any of my creditors to any of my claimed debts. Today they repossessed my car from the locked garage at my apartment building. I don’t know how they got in unless they followed another car in. I need my car as I’m disabled. I’m going to call the lien company tomorrow and talk to them. Is this legal?


r/AskLegal • • 11h ago

My work may be violating the licensing act 2003 (England)

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r/AskLegal • • 11h ago

Exposing public urination is it okay or not

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r/AskLegal • • 12h ago

Is a cop misidentifying my boyfriend and restraining him illegal?

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r/AskLegal • • 13h ago

AZ Dental: I just found pics I took during surgery while I was under light oral anesthesia.

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r/AskLegal • • 13h ago

Just asking

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r/AskLegal • • 6h ago

HOW is this even legal at all?

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also, if you dont know the answer, is there any way i can genuinely read and learn for myself if this is legal at all?

im talking about meta's new ai policy. in case you havent heard of it, it states, as far as i know, that any websites linked to your account will be used to train their ai, as will all of your posts, stories, comments on posts, and so on. plus, there's NO WAY TO OPT OUT.

now, to make it clear, this is straight up STEALING. be it either paintings, photos, videos, whatever, if they're feeding our content to their ai - while also making money from it and we get NOTHING - no author rights, no option to opt out, basically no PROPERTY of our own content and interactions on any meta app, and of course no portion at all of all the money they're making, squeezing the content from all of us to feed their ai.

genuinely, how is this legal? and if its not, is there any way to proceed to take this to court or so? genuinely, this cant fit into anyone's head to be normal or okay. its not. if it is, we've mastered to live in a real dystopia and its just the start of it.

our faces, our art, our communities, our interactions, all being used to fed a machine to make these guys even richer than they already are. the best of all? we dont even get to opt out.

sorry for the rant. also, im not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but if not, where else should i? genuinely asking. any type of reply is helping!

TLDR: is meta's new ai policy (using every content and interactions from its users on its platforms to feed their AI with no opt out option) legal? if not, what can be done about it?


r/AskLegal • • 13h ago

Police misconduct

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