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Dad reunited with grieving children after tragic death of mother
By Laura Reichel
In a case marked by both heartbreak and hope, a devoted father sought help in reuniting with his children after the untimely passing of their mother.
In the midst of this tragedy, he was painfully kicked out of his children’s lives by relatives of the mother, who sought to keep the children from him. The Leving legal team fought for dad and his children in court and won, bringing the grief-stricken children back to their father.
Chicago matrimonial attorney Jeffery Leving, President of the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving Ltd. will talk about this important case victory and more on the Dads’ Rights Legal Hour, 9-10 a.m. CDT Saturday, August 23rd on Power 92.3 FM.
This show segment will be available for download on the Dads’ Rights Legal Hour Spotify page on dadsrights.com. Listen to this radio show and keep hope alive by sharing this victory and connecting on Instagram @dadsrights.
Dad is the proud father of a twelve-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl. While he and the children’s mother were never married, they had an informal agreement where dad had parenting time with his children on alternate weekends.
Tragically, the mother became gravely ill and became unable to care for herself. In an act of compassion and love, dad willingly gave up his weekends to allow his children the precious gift of more time with their mother during her remaining days while still maintaining close, daily contact with them.
After the children’s mother died, her relatives refused to return the children to their father. Instead, they filed for guardianship, attempting to cut him out of his kids’ lives by claiming he hadn’t been involved.
Devastated, dad called attorney Jeffery Leving for help. Attorney Leving assured dad the Leving team would fight for him and his children, giving this father the hope he so desperately needed.
As the case unfolded, troubling evidence came to light: the children were reportedly being alienated from their father by relatives of their late mother – they were told that their father didn’t care about them, that he didn’t love them or want them. Of course, none of this was true.
The case went to trial, and over several days, the court heard testimony from many witnesses. When it was over, the judge denied the mother’s relatives’ guardianship. The court found the evidence “overwhelming” that dad not only loved his children but could care for them and would provide them with a safe and loving home. Dad and his children were reunited at last.
This was a victory modified for publication that protected a father’s rights and his bonds with his children. When a mother passes, the father, as the surviving parent, should receive full parental rights unless disqualified. Now, these children can grieve their mother’s loss surrounded by the love and security of their father’s home.
Matrimonial attorney Jeffery M. Leving is the recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the President of the United States in recognition of 7,500 hours of service to this nation. In addition, the Illinois House of Representatives has honored Leving “for his work in safeguarding the rights of fathers and protecting the welfare of children and families in this State,” and the Illinois Senate issued a proclamation recognizing his efforts on behalf of fathers.
To learn more about Leving, law and fatherhood, visit dadsrights.com.
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Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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