Fighting For Your Child: An Adoption Story

How long would you fight for your child?  …days, weeks, months, years? How much money would you spend in your battle to protect your child? …hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands?  Many people have had to argue over custody issues when families dissolve, but what if your ex fled the state and tried to physically and emotionally separate your child from you?  What if the other state added roadblocks and hardships to keep you from your child?  Then, what if you found out all of your fears about the hell your child was living in was real?

When Brad began his custody battle for his baby boy, Kyle, he had no idea his fight would last for nearly a decade.  Soon after Brad and his wife had Kyle, Brad knew his marriage was over.  It was clear early on that he would be unable to live with his unstable wife.  Immediately after the divorce, Brad began proceedings to get custody of his infant son.  After all, what man could leave his son behind without fighting for him with everything in his power?  In a terrible turn of events, Brad’s ex-wife fled the state taking Kyle with her.

The ensuing years found Brad driving back and forth and hiring attorneys out-of-state.  The only solace he found came from a caring woman named Maggie.  For most women, getting involved with a man under such circumstances would be a red flag to stay away.  However, Maggie wasn’t easily deterred, and she knew looking out for his son was a worthy fight for this father.  In fact, Maggie became a fixture of stability not only for Brad but for little Kyle as well.  She obviously became a source of support for Brad as the two married and Maggie stepped forward as a stepmother to Kyle.

With the passing of time, Brad continued his fight seeking counseling for his son with a child psychologist and legal help through John Irving.  The two couples became friends as well as attorneys and clients.  Brad described the relationship, “John treated us as family and fought for us as if fighting for his own children.  We are forever grateful for their knowledge, service support & friendship.”

When Kyle was nine and his dad picked him up for summer visitation, Kyle got in the car and told his dad that his mom had said he could choose where he wanted to live.  He looked at his dad and said, “Let’s go home.”  With the legal advice of The Irving Law Firm, Brad filed for emergency custody.  A break in the case happened when a magistrate wanted to speak to Kyle privately.  Brad didn’t know exactly what was said, but the magistrate ordered sole custody be given to Brad with only supervised visits with the child’s mother.  At 10 years old, Kyle never saw his mother again.

A few years later, John thought the time was right for Maggie to adopt Kyle, and they pushed the couple to take a more permanent, legal step to ensure Kyle’s stable home.  Maggie said, “The intelligence, competence and caring of the The Irving Law Firm is the reason I have Kyle as my own.  We are truly amazed by them and so fortunate and blessed to have them as our attorneys.”

Today, Kyle is an 18 year old who plans to join the military in January of 2015.  In this, he will be following in the steps of his paternal grandfather as a navy man.  Kyle summed up everything when he simply stated, “The Irving Law Firm helped me get the family I always wanted.”  With the continued love and support of his parents, Kyle has been given that chance of a bright future.

*** To ensure the privacy of the family, the names in this account have been changed.