Washington state custody
Hello! I am hoping for some thoughts from a lawyer. I cannot afford one currently. I have a toddler. We have had a protection order against his dad for over a year (it’s been renewed). The protection order the entire time has said pending family court. So if he would make a parenting agreement he could see our son. We have been going through the family court process and now have a family court services evaluator to help create a parenting plan that is best for our son. My ex lives in a small studio apartment with no oven. He lives about 45 minutes from us and where my son goes to school/daycare. We both have been self representing. His parents got him a lawyer for the first protection order hearing, and now just got him one again. This is causing me such anxiety because I’m just doing this on my own.
I am asking for him to not have decision making (domestic violence restriction). To have a step up plan, him have to participate in DV treatment (he has done nothing aside from go to the same therapist he was going to before that his parents also pay for), start with supervised visits and work towards every other weekend. I do not think he is capable of being safe and engaged more than every other weekend.
I have submitted various different forms of evidence to corroborate his lack of safety and clear mental health issues.
I felt like with the evaluator, we would do what she asked of us during this process and then she would make her recommendations which the court would be likely to follow. I’m now increasingly anxious that he has a lawyer and I do not. Nor can I obtain one. How likely is it that a lawyer can sway the judge away from FCS recommendations? He finally after a year of not seeing our son just filed for a temp parenting plan, the hearing for this is two weeks before our full hearing. Any advice, recommendations or guidance would be very helpful. Any questions are welcomed. Thank you.