Hey everyone, I’ve been taking care of my daughter for about 9 months now, and her mother hasn’t been involved for about 7 months. Recently, my ex reached out wanting to see our daughter and is threatening legal action if I refuse. We don’t have a custody agreement in place currently. According to her, she distanced herself from our daughter for her own reasons. However, she has a history of alcohol abuse, has been physically abusive in front of our child (I have evidence), and has moved several times with different partners in the past year. She was also recently charged with a DUI. I want to pursue sole custody or at least supervised visits due to safety concerns. I’m genuinely afraid for my daughter’s well-being around her mother given her history. Her previous marriage resulted in her losing custody of her other children, and she also gave another child up for adoption. I’m not trying to attack her character, but I’m wondering if a judge will consider her past actions as a mother when deciding custody. I know Kentucky typically favors 50/50 custody, but I don’t believe it’s in my 3-year-old daughter’s best interest to be around her mother under these circumstances. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
EDIT:
I’ve reached a mutual agreement with my child’s mother to avoid going to court. We’ve agreed on having my daughter stay with me every other weekend, with me having primary residential custody, and neither of us will pay child support. I’m currently working with a lawyer who will draft up the agreement. Are there any concerns I should address or include in the agreement? I’ve already informed my attorney about issues like alcohol and DUI, and we’ve agreed not to speak negatively about each other in front of our daughter. It’s important to me to ensure that I have the majority of the time with my daughter to maintain her stability. Any advice on what else to consider would be greatly appreciated.