How Do I Find an Attorney Free of Charge (Because of Financial Situation)
My question involves child abuse or neglect in the State of: North Carolina
I am 16 years old and right now I have been staying with my mother for 3 days due to an iccident regarding my father who had an altercation with his wife (my stepmother). The fight DID turn physical and when my father and stepmother left the home, my sister and I called the police because we were scared for our stepmother's safety and because my father IS known to be physically abusive. When the police arrived they questioned my sister and I and soon after that my father with his wife arrived with the police there. The police did question them both separately and my father stated that there was no confrontation while my stepmother did admit there was. She is still staying with him because she is weak and though he HAS hit her before in the past, she just thinks that that is his way of just expressing himself. I have suffered from physical, mental and emotional abuse from my father since I was born and I'm tired of it. I have been beaten with extension cords, multiple belts, "switches", shoes, kitchen utensils, etc. I've been choked by him and this man SWEARS up and down that he has NEVER abused me or my sister. The Department of Social Service has intervened more than 4 times and has never taken us out of our father's house because our father ALWAYS manages to persuade them not to. My father has been arrested before on child abuse charges when I was about 8, but they were later dropped because I could not testify because of my age I believe. This is my senior year in high school and I do currently suffer from depression. I can not take the stress anymore, my father does not want me back and I have stated to him I don't want to be back in his house. His states that he is not giving up is parental rights or custody of me but I have a choice to either stay with him (which I'm not considering because if I go back, my life will continue to be hell and he will stop all my attempts to further my education for college) then i could stay with my mother but she doesnt have the room in her house and is currently unemployed and then he says i can go to foster home/group home. My mother right now is trying to fight to get us away from him but because of the finanical situation, it's impossible. She knows people who are WILLING to take us but our father will not allow it. He believes I need to suffer. We have tried calling Legal Aid and no one returns our calls. My mother can not afford an attorney and we have spent these 3 days trying to find a solution. We are out of options and especially time. What do we do?
Re: How Do I Find an Attorney Free of Charge (Because of Financial Situation)
You just told us "i could stay with my mother but she doesnt have the room in her house and is currently unemployed" so, with or without a lawyer, how in the world is your mother going to take custody of you? If she has no home to offer you, and no money with which to support you, she lacks the capacity to provide a safe and appropriate home for you..
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