(a/n: i know little about law and custody stuff so it might not be totally accurate but just go with it lol)
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emerson
"ms. bailey?"
i stand up nervously from my chair in the family law waiting area.
"that's me. you can call me emerson," i smile politely at the older woman as she leads us to her office.
"emerson what brings you here today? have a seat please," she gestures to the chair across from her desk as she takes a seat herself.
"well um.. my child's father is fighting for full custody and i figured it'd be smart to have a lawyer since he has one. i don't really have the money that he has, but i'll use every penny to keep my son," i explain to her.
she nods, "okay i will start by saying that i charge minimum fees. i like to help families who need help rather than starve them of money; i'm glad you came here. i know it's not an easy thing to do."
she seems really nice and i can tell that she'd probably be a good fit, but i need to make sure.
"i work as any other lawyer does. everything we discuss is confidential, and my job is to defend you and build a solid case so that you can take your little boy home with you," she begins, "if you don't mind, i'd like to hear a little about the situation so that i can assess what i can do to help. some situations are extreme and require more than i can offer," she finishes sympathetically.
i nod, "okay. my son is three, he'll be four soon. his name is noah and i moved here with him once he was seven months old so that he could be close to his father. he's supposed to stay with him every weekend. things were pretty good until recently," i pause.
she's taking notes as i speak, "what changed?"
"he started dating someone else- oh obviously we're not together. we broke up soon after noah was born because he moved out here for his career and he didn't want... he didn't want a relationship tying him down," i admit a little embarrassed.
it's a very weird story to tell. i mean we had a child together and then all of a sudden he didn't want me anymore.
"and this new relationship that he's in, why does that effect what you guys have in agreement?"
i sigh, "she's very possessive. she has told him things and he eventually started believing her and now here we are..."
"how does she treat noah?"
"not good. she calls him names and she's very rude to him, i can't stand it. i've tried to tell jonah, the father, but he won't believe me. i have no proof."
she pauses for a second, "okay. is there anything that i should know that can help make this case be in your favor? i know this might be intrusive, but has he ever been violent around you and/or have you ever been scared of him?"
my eyes widen, "oh... no, not really. he- he's typically a good person which is why this is very unfortunate. he's just been acting off lately."
she hums in acknowledgement, "alright. what does he do for a living? is he able to provide for noah?"
"he's in a boyband, a famous one. he's very financially stable.."
she raises her eyebrows, "interesting. does he travel a lot?"
"yes. they just finished touring actually. they're starting a long break," i reply.
"are you financially stable to take care of your son alone? in most custody cases that i've done, the father stills pay child support but it all depends on if you win or not."
i nod, "yes. i have a job that allows me to stay home and take care of noah, so that helps. my pay isn't extravagant but it's enough."
"just a few more questions. what are the current living situations?"
"during the week noah lives with me in our apartment. his father lives with a few people, but noah has a room there as well for the weekends. when jonah's not on tour."
she marks that down in her notes as well, "and noah, does he have your last name or jonah's?"
"he has my last name."
"good, that's good. overall it seems that you have a pretty solid case to make. judges usually side with the mother as long as she has a good background and hasn't done anything to cause any harm," she smiles, "i can definitely help you here, if that's what you want."
"i never wanted this to happen but i won't lose my son over this. so yes, i'd like for you to be my lawyer."
we go over some official business before it's all taken care of.
as i go to leave she stops me, "ms. bailey, i do want to warn you that a judge will most likely send this case to a mediator. in cases like yours, with young parents, the mediator will try to help the two parents come to an understanding. it shortens and sometimes stops the legal battle. i do hope that your case turns out to be one that is fixed through that process," she informs me.
