I'm not sure if it's customary on this subreddit to ask for advice, but I didn't have much luck searching for a father's rights subreddit. Maybe I just used the wrong keywords in my search.

My nephew had a child with his ex girlfriend. They were approximately 20 years old. Neither of them had or have much going for them. They both had and still have low paying jobs, approximately $10 per hour. She broke up with him shortly after their child was born. Her mother has been quoted saying things like our family is white trash, he is going no where in life, etc. (She's a single mother welfare queen, we never have been, so whatever.) After she apparently resisted her mother's opinions for a while, she finally decided that she could no longer be with my nephew because he was holding her back. She let him stick around for a while to babysit sometimes while she was at work, and he took it upon himself to provide money for the child, but she has now decided that she wants sole custody of the child. (Seems it came up only once she found herself another guy she's probably going to trash and throw away). There has been no court involvement up to this point. He has participated in all activities related to the child, and has dedicated nearly all of his effort toward her and their child. I just don't understand how anyone can be so cruel.

He is absolutely infatuated with this girl; she can do no wrong in his eyes. But, of course, all that means is that she knows she can get away with it. He works at the same company as my father. My father has said that my nephew will sometimes break down at work for not seeing his son and missing this wicked woman. He believes she will honor him in court and not go after him for back child support, but I think everyone but him knows better. What will it take for him to get over her? He needs to protect himself. Is there nothing I can do to help him wake up? How often do men recover from these sorts of situations? So far my approach has just been to try to offer him some time having fun at the movies or whatever, hoping that makes up, even if just a little bit, for probably feeling terrible most of the time. I don't know what else to do. He's not going to respond to lecture.