In order to be represented in Family Court, you have to hire an attorney. An attorney will NOT be appointed to you in Family Court in Jefferson County, AL. Even if you request a GAL for your child due to abusive behavior by their father, it is unlikely you will receive one. Women that struggle financially should have the right to an attorney, fee free, to represent them against fathers that have unlimited sources of income to assist them. Furthermore, a child that has been under their mother's care since birth should not have their child ripped away from them at the age of 9 for no reason,  outside of them not understanding the law and not filing things they didn't know they "should have filed". Rights ripped from a mother because she couldn't be at ONE court date due to COVID is beyond absurd and should never have happened. This is NOT justice and is criminal. Reversing a court order that has been in place my son's entire life was reversed and gave his abusive father sole full custody and if I don't turn him over to his father, I am "in contempt" and the judge says she will put ,e in jail. I have never experienced anything of the sort and this judge was CLEARLY paid off because a motion to reconsider was in place 4 days following her final decision but was completely looked over. My son needs his voice heard and we deserve justice for this unfortunate series of events.