Liar, liar, pants on fire!

This post is just...wow. Yesterday I got an email from my son's father. I sent him a copy of the final judgment revoking temporary custody from my mother and giving m sole custody. Turns out he had a child support hearing yesterday. My mother showed up, pretending to still have custody of my son.  When his father mentioned she no longer had custody she denied that, but luckily he had printed the order to bring with him. She claimed to "not know about that hearing or the order revoking her custody", which is funny because I only got the order because she filed a motion withdrawing any objection to me revoking temporary custody so even if she didn't know about the order yet (although a copy was provided to her attorney on Monday, same as mine) she DID know that she had filed withdrawing her objections, so why was she in support court demanding my ex give her more money or go to jail when she knew she had essentially relinquished custody anyway?

I'm happy to say she was unsuccessful at getting him thrown in jail, or at getting more money out of him. In fact, she'll get less now since she gets no current support from him moving forward, and will only be getting $25/week towards arrears for at least a while. 

This makes me reflect to about 4 years ago. I was still near the beginning of this long drawn out legal battle, and I found a document while searching at the records building. I was adopted by my maternal grandmother in 4th grade. In 5th grade I moved back with my mother and she tried to take my father to court for child support. He came with the adoption papers and she left with nothing.  So I am not really surprised that she tried this, but I am extremely disappointed in a system that doesn't do anything punitive to someone so obviously trying to defraud the system. 

Penalties would discourage others from lying moving forward. Letting her get away with it encourages the idea that you can do whatever you want and get away with it, even defrauding the system.  If even one person is getting away with this kind of activity completely consequence-free, then there is a serious need for both family law reform in Seminole County, and child support reform in the state of Florida.