This question was asked in our subreddit:

“My sons father and I separated when my son was six months old. It was a nasty break up, (extreme emotional/psychological abuse, I was 17 when I met him, 22 when we split, I had no idea until spending months in therapy that I was actually not the entire problem, that I had been raped, monitored, manipulated for years) I moved in with my parents and still had hopes we would reconcile, (thank god we didn’t, I had been so blind to the type of person he was) so I did not go to court, and my sons father made it very clear that he would try to take our son from me if I did go to court. We shared 50/50 placement switching off each week, until he relapsed on cocaine almost a year later in November/December. He’s been out of our lives, unless he is harassing old friends about getting guns (he’s a felon, and they cut him off when he relapsed) or he’s telling me about how there are two people in his head, how he doesn’t think our sons life has any value, that he loves and misses us. his behavior is erratic, and I worry that with the drug use and his declining mental health, he might show up demanding to take our son. I’m unable to figure out how to open a case and no one seems to want to give me an answer. I’ve already submitted paperwork they said they would accept, but then said they couldn’t and I’d have to hire an attorney. I’m unable to afford one and make too much to meet limits for the local offices that help in these situations. I’m smart enough and prepared enough to do this on my own, for my sons sake. Just need to know where to start.”