soled shoes, and further bangs to my head on the hardwood floors. My pleas for you to stop meant nothing to you. You beat me beyond recognition, not even recognizable to my own family.” Her message to others is: “Don’t give up; keep fighting; and realize your own self-worth.” And most of all, “Don’t be ashamed.” “You know when things are right, and you know when things are wrong,” Evelyn says, “Follow your gut. There are people out there to support you — ask for help.” “ I’m not going to let him win. ” Though Evelyn is still undergoing facial reconstruction, her physical injuries are only obvious to her. As I see her, she is beautiful as ever, both inside and out. She has returned to work, and despite concern from others close to her, she returned to her home. “It’s my house; I did nothing wrong.” she says, “I’m not going to let him win.” Well said, Evelyn, well said. FAMILY LAW Q & A Q: My son’s dad is listed on the birth certificate. Does he have any legal rights to my son? A: When parents are unmarried, the mother has “de facto” custody — meaning the mother has sole legal custody (i.e. control and “say so”). A father — even one that is paying child support — must file an action in court to establish his parental rights as the child father, which would include parenting time (a/k/a visitation). Kendra L. Carpenter Kendra is an attorney who specializes in family law and is the owner of Carpenter Family Law LLC. Attorney Carpenter serves as a board member for the Delaware County YMCA and as the District 6 Commissioner on the Clintonville Area Commission. She is a survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and thanks God every day for every day. She is married to John Dean and has two furry sons, R.J. and Charlie. She is the proud daughter, granddaughter, and great granddaughter of army veterans who served in the Korean Conflict, World War II and World War I. Q: Sometimes I leave my kids with my boyfriend when I have to work. There have been times when I come back and my kids are crying and telling me that he “hit” them. My boyfriend brushes it off and says that he had to discipline them because they were “mouthing off.” I agree that my kids can be a handful and I sometimes have to put them in timeout, but for the most part, they are just kids being kids. Should I be concerned? A: Absolutely; particularly, if you have made it clear to your boyfriend that he is not to use any type of corporal punishment. If this continues, Children Services could remove your children from the home and place them in foster care. At the very least, stop leaving your kids alone with him. But also, for yourself, make sure this is the right guy for you. The choice between him and your kids should be a no-brainer. Q: What’s the difference between a divorce and dissolutionment. A: First, let’s current the term: it’s “dissolution,” not “dissolutionment.” Both a divorce and dissolution are ways to terminate a marriage. The only difference is how the case is filed in court. In a dissolution, the parties file the action with an agreement that has resolved— financial issues and 18 | ENVISION PROVEN SUCCESS MAGAZINE
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