Hi all,
Any help really appreciated. I'll try to summarize the situation.
I am middle aged male. Partner and I met 2009. Child born 2010 (She is 3 now).
My partner has a chronic prescription drug problem. 400 valium, 100 oxycodone, 100 serepax, 50 lorazepam, and many others each month. She has done many acts of self-harm, threats of suicide and has an inability to carry out day to day activities. She had a history of drug abuse when she was younger but had been able to manage it when we first met. Following childbirth, she fell into a full blown addiction. I have rock solid proof of all of this.
I'm not the primary carer, but I've literally been the sole carer of our daughter since she was born. All bottles, all nappies, etc. Nowadays all baths, all clothes washing, all dinners, all bedtimes - not just most - all.
My daughter is extremely attached to me and becomes distressed if I try to leave and leave her alone with her Mum, even for short periods. I don't think my partner would or has intentionally harmed her. I think it's just how she acts. The yelling, when she is really messy, on drugs, my daughter doesn't want to be around her. My partner does love her - it's just that she is very unwell and hopelessly addicted to opiates and benzodiazepines.
When our daughter was first born, it became evident very quickly my partner couldn't care for her. We tried but she would leave her screaming in the cot and call me at work. I came home many times and had to take days off.
Within a month, I employed private in-home carers for first 2 years of my daughter's life. I now use daycare and drop my daughter off on the way to work in the morning and pick her up on the way home.
I tried getting my partner into rehabs etc., but she checks out within a day. I need out and get a separation before the stress kills me. Looking after a 3-year-old on my own is hard enough but with an active addict in the house also spending all the money, yelling, screaming, etc. in front of our daughter, it is unbearable.
I can't get her out of the house. I'm genuinely scared of her. The house is in my name. I was thinking of moving out and taking our daughter then filing for some sort of interim parental orders for daughter to live with me - initially supervised access from mum until she sorts herself out.
I've seen lawyers and still have no clear direction how this would work.
Ok, here is the scenario I came up with myself. I get rental quietly and get it set up to move into. Hypothetically, one day I leave with my daughter and move into the rental. I wouldn't be able to tell my partner as I wouldn't be safe and would put both my daughter and myself at risk. We would just have to leave.
I can't go to work or take daughter to daycare until parental orders are in place. I would still be paying the mortgage on house and rent- something I couldn't afford so I would need to somehow get her out of house eventually even if I would just sell it and settle with her.
Any form of negotiation is out of the question - she goes ballistic.
Can someone walk me through the family law process? Is it a form1 initially (I'm in WA) and putting forward urgent due to the situation. Or a form 4? The risk of abuse or neglect to a child.
I don't think my partner would intentionally hurt our child but neglect is certain. She can't stay awake through the day and I had frequently had to drag her to bed. Literally unconscious.
I'm at wits end and can't go on like this.
An example of stuff going on in the last week: Got home and I found my partner asleep everyday, mess everywhere, food all over the place, the stove left on, the hose left running out back, valium pills left on floor, Sometimes she gets up through night and crashes about, sometimes tries to wake our daughter at 3 am for no reason as she doesn't realise the time. Today she didn't know it was the weekend - thought it was the middle of the week.
Please help.
Any help really appreciated. I'll try to summarize the situation.
I am middle aged male. Partner and I met 2009. Child born 2010 (She is 3 now).
My partner has a chronic prescription drug problem. 400 valium, 100 oxycodone, 100 serepax, 50 lorazepam, and many others each month. She has done many acts of self-harm, threats of suicide and has an inability to carry out day to day activities. She had a history of drug abuse when she was younger but had been able to manage it when we first met. Following childbirth, she fell into a full blown addiction. I have rock solid proof of all of this.
I'm not the primary carer, but I've literally been the sole carer of our daughter since she was born. All bottles, all nappies, etc. Nowadays all baths, all clothes washing, all dinners, all bedtimes - not just most - all.
My daughter is extremely attached to me and becomes distressed if I try to leave and leave her alone with her Mum, even for short periods. I don't think my partner would or has intentionally harmed her. I think it's just how she acts. The yelling, when she is really messy, on drugs, my daughter doesn't want to be around her. My partner does love her - it's just that she is very unwell and hopelessly addicted to opiates and benzodiazepines.
When our daughter was first born, it became evident very quickly my partner couldn't care for her. We tried but she would leave her screaming in the cot and call me at work. I came home many times and had to take days off.
Within a month, I employed private in-home carers for first 2 years of my daughter's life. I now use daycare and drop my daughter off on the way to work in the morning and pick her up on the way home.
I tried getting my partner into rehabs etc., but she checks out within a day. I need out and get a separation before the stress kills me. Looking after a 3-year-old on my own is hard enough but with an active addict in the house also spending all the money, yelling, screaming, etc. in front of our daughter, it is unbearable.
I can't get her out of the house. I'm genuinely scared of her. The house is in my name. I was thinking of moving out and taking our daughter then filing for some sort of interim parental orders for daughter to live with me - initially supervised access from mum until she sorts herself out.
I've seen lawyers and still have no clear direction how this would work.
Ok, here is the scenario I came up with myself. I get rental quietly and get it set up to move into. Hypothetically, one day I leave with my daughter and move into the rental. I wouldn't be able to tell my partner as I wouldn't be safe and would put both my daughter and myself at risk. We would just have to leave.
I can't go to work or take daughter to daycare until parental orders are in place. I would still be paying the mortgage on house and rent- something I couldn't afford so I would need to somehow get her out of house eventually even if I would just sell it and settle with her.
Any form of negotiation is out of the question - she goes ballistic.
Can someone walk me through the family law process? Is it a form1 initially (I'm in WA) and putting forward urgent due to the situation. Or a form 4? The risk of abuse or neglect to a child.
I don't think my partner would intentionally hurt our child but neglect is certain. She can't stay awake through the day and I had frequently had to drag her to bed. Literally unconscious.
I'm at wits end and can't go on like this.
An example of stuff going on in the last week: Got home and I found my partner asleep everyday, mess everywhere, food all over the place, the stove left on, the hose left running out back, valium pills left on floor, Sometimes she gets up through night and crashes about, sometimes tries to wake our daughter at 3 am for no reason as she doesn't realise the time. Today she didn't know it was the weekend - thought it was the middle of the week.
Please help.