Location: Virginia
About 7 years ago, my daughter’s grandmother (dad’s side) filed for custody of my child after I left the father. I can speculate on her reasoning but that’s a story for another sub lol
We saw a mediator and father just said “you can have her” and walked out. The mediator and I (along with grandmother) came to an agreement that I would have sole physical custody and father and I would share legal custody. Grandmother and Father got visitation rights with 24 hour notice only if agreed upon
Nothing ever came of this. Neither has had any contact with my child since and father does not pay child support and only recently started talking to my child via text (after I had to meet him to sign for her passport and he asked for her phone number)
Anyway so here I am 7 years later and I am trying to move out of the country but since we share legal custody I need his signature for her visa. So I filed for full custody so I don’t have to get an absent father’s permission for my child anymore.
I genuinely thought we could just see a mediator again and the father would just give everything up like he did last time but now my court case is next Wednesday and I do not have a lawyer. I cannot afford one and I haven’t been contacted about a court appointed one either
What are my options here? Do I just show up with my own evidence or hope that the father and grandmother don’t even show up to court? Do I have to apply for a court appointed lawyer? If so what are the requirements? And do I have enough time at this point?
Possibly relevant: grandmother and father both have criminal records and I believe father only fairly recently got his first job and drivers license. He also has 2 children with another woman who is also on drugs and has a criminal record