Protecting a Father's Rights

My son was a baby. I hadn't seen him in months.

His mother married someone else and she would leave him for long periods of time. The only reason I knew where he was is because I asked police for a welfare check.

For my son and I to be part of each other's lives, I had to legally prove that I was his father. There's no standard form for that in Wisconsin so I needed an attorney which I could not afford.

But then I found a civil legal aid provider. They kept at it a while and they eventually got an order for DNA testing. The testing showed I was his father, so then my attorney helped get me orders for placement and custody.

Now my son and are part of each other's lives. We can have a relationship for the long haul, and it's honestly thanks to civil legal aid.

This story is true. It happened in Wisconsin. The words and images are a dramatization. We created them to tell the story.

The video was created, and voiceover performed, by an employee of a civil legal aid organization, Benson Gardner. AI tools were used in creating the visuals. The music is "Harmony Country Groove Instrumental" by Unique Creative Audio.