Knox---thanks for taking the time to consider Felix Todaro's case. I met
Felix 10 years or so ago when he was referred to me through the Houston
Volunteer Lawyers Program. Felix wanted a divorce and custody of his then 6
year old daughter. His wife had a drug problem and he did not think his
daughter would be safe in her care, After a brief court case, he was awarded
custody of his daughter who is now a student at Deer Park High School. Felix
called me two years ago and asked if I could help him w/ his divorce from his
second wife. Felix tried to go through the HVLP but was over their income
threshold. I asked David Schwab(Elizabeth Dodge' husband) at Bracewell to
handle it as a favor to me. At the time, Felix had a job at a laundry
company making an hourly fee--- he has since left that job and now works at a
garage making $500(gross) per week. He was unemployed for the first six
months of 2000 and he has no assets. Felix and his second wife had a 2 year
old daughter at the time of his second divorce. Although Felix seriously
considered fighting for custody, he thought his second wife was a good mother
and gave up the fight. Felix was named possessory conservator under his
divorce decree. Felix agreed to pay child support and he tells me he is
current. Shortly after their divorce, his ex-wife asked his permission to
move to Iowa, where her family lived. Felix let her go. He has not seen his
daughter in two years. Last month he heard that his ex-wife was dying of
brain cancer and asked if he could see his daughter in Iowa. His mother in
law denied him access. Last month his ex-wife died. I wrote a letter to the
mother in law asking for the orderly transfer of the child to Felix. An
attorney called me to inform me that the grandmother would resist. Obviously,
I am not in a position to help Felix, but I was hoping that V&E would take on
his case. Please let me know asap whether you can help.