How Can I Help My Son Get Custody?

Quote:

Quoting HelpingMySon

My son lives in Virginia. He is 27 and works full-time.

Ok, that's good.

He has a 2 year old son with a woman and was just ordered to pay $661. in support, he only makes $1200 total a month.
Was he actually there in court when the order was set?

He wants to appeal custody and go for sole custody of the child and allow the mother to have limited visitation during the year. It has been made apparent that it's all about the money with her.
That isn't enough to warrant a change in custody

We thought it would be different but the mother doesn't really want to be a mother, she would rather party all the time and leave the child with the father anyway.
Can you get her to agree to this? If not, where is your proof of this?
She uses the support money he does pay to pay HER bills, not the childs. She's living on $661 a month? Does she work?

My son is in a stable relationship with his girlfriend and lives with her and her 2 sons.
Irrelevant

He is prepared to appeal the support amount next week because he just can't afford it. What should his next steps be as far as custody is concerned? He can't afford a lawyer and I can help him minimally....where can we turn? If he intends on trying to get custody, he will need one. A damn good one if this is all he has. I would say don't waste the money though. Put it toward the child support.

This man is a good father and this boy deserves the love he can provide, plus he excels when in the presence of the other two boys at my son's residence.

Questions I have are: Should he marry his girlfriend? If that's what he wants to do, sure but it will have no bearing on the custody case.

It's imminent at some point in the near future...would that give him a better stance if it happened sooner than later? I need a starting point....should CPS be anonymously called, I know she's not neglecting the child, but he is not getting the treatment and attention he deserves. I wouldn't suggest calling CPS if there is no abuse or neglect. That would be a waste of time.Suggestions, ideas, all would be appreciated to help us out.

Did the amount he was ordered to pay include arrears? Has he not been paying? Was child care included in that amount? I know that child care alone can run upwards $500 alone. That does not include food, shelter, clothes, and other necessities.

If I were your son and had no solid proof of anything as you have basically stated in your post, I would save the money that I would need for the lawyer and put it to better use.