A shout out tonight to one particular father who didn’t go the extra mile, he went the extra thousand miles. We just finished his international family law case and I couldn’t be more proud to know him.
He left his home, lock, stock and barrel and moved to a foreign country to be a part of his daughter’ life. He spent years in that foreign country, trying to placate his daughter’s mother and raise his daughter, who he had most of every week.
When his child made an outcry of abuse, he tirelessly and retlentlessly pursued help for his little girl, so that she could be heard and so that she could be helped.
When the culprit was identified as residing in Mom’s home and when he learned that mom had turned a deaf ear to daughter’s pleas, this Dad sought and obtained a one year restraining order against the mother for doing nothing to stop the abuse.
Early into that year, he brought his daughter home.
About six months after the Protective Order had expired, mom filed her International Family Law Hague Petition in Federal Court in a nearby state, seeking the child’s return to the foreign land.
After countless witnesses at home and abroad, the little girl gets to stay, safe, sound, happy in her daddy’s protective arms.
Dad gave up everything to be with his daughter and risked everything to protect her. He fought. He won. He went the extra thousand miles.
And today, I’m guessing he had a very nice father’s day.
Michael Manely
Michael Manely is headquartered at our Marietta office, but he works with all of our clients in Atlanta, Lawrenceville, Canton, Gainesville and Savannah.