My step daughters dad was released from jail about six months ago following a 3 year sentence for violation of probation and felony refusal (he was acquited of his eigth DUI since he wasn’t caught in the act. He completed a 28 day program for alcoholism and my wife and I can’t prove that he is drinking again or driving illegally (he has been caught driving drunk with her before). He bought a truck and had it put in his new girlfriends name who he moved in with after just four days of knowing each other. His girlfriend can’t be said to be a bad person since our feelings about her are not to be proven. His GF use to be one of my wifes friends and in fact was with my wife when she met my step daughters dad. She is also 18 years older than my step daughters dad. My wife and I feel that this relationship is unhealthy for my stepdaugter to be around because of the age difference and the fact that my step daughter knows the GF as my wifes friend. My step daughters dad is court ordered to pay child support but hasn’t paid for 4 months and he doesn’t have steady income. My wife and i googled the dads name and we found that he had been released from jail pending charges no more than two months ago. My wife confirmed what we had found by calling the county jail. My wife talked to him recetly and he mentioned that he had been talking with an attorney and that when he had the money he would be taking us to court for custody whether it be physical or legal i don’t know.

My wife and i have good steady jobs and i have known my step daughter for five years (since she was 3). I know the difference between legal and physical custody and am less worried about him being granted physical custody. We don’t want my step daughter to be emotionally damaged by being involved with a relationship that we see as unhealthy and don’t want her hurt if he were to choose to drive drunk with her again.

What are the chances of the father being granted custody/visitation?Please help us settle our nerves!!!!