[UPDATE] My [23/F] father [53/M] left us for his mistress and blamed my mother and I. He just tried to contact me...

He is an abuser. He will keep taking until someone makes him stop. Have you had ALL the locks changed on the house? Put a padlock on the shed. Lock everything up. Have the lawyer send his representative a letter to cease and desist trespassing on the property. Put up No Trespassing signs all over the place, with the legal requirement (15 feet apart, etc). If he comes on the property, take pictures, with date and time. Ask the neighbors if they will testify on your Moms behalf about his trespassing. If you can afford it, if he comes on the property, have the lawyer file contempt of court if he is ignoring a court order to stay off the property. You also could call the non-emergency number and speak to someone or go to the police station and talk about how abusive he is, that he has assaulted you before, and that he screams and calls you name there on your property. Perhaps you could force a restraining order to keep him from harassing you. The key here is boundaries, and to consistently apply them. You also do it in a monotone, professional way. You do not cuss, get personal, argue or discuss anything with him. Anything he says are unimportant. You can also get a few inexpensive outside cameras and have them installed. Its fairly inexpensive now a days. A couple hundred dollars. Also, keep notes of dates, times, actions and statements made by him every time he does this stuff.

Outside of that, keep the fact that even though he is your father, he clearly doesnt care about any of you. You have to grieve the loss of the idea of a loving parent and father that has never existed. And cut him out of your life forever. That means when he is on his death bed, you are on yours, etc, he is no longer a part of it. Never show sympathy or empathy or give him the benefit of the doubt that he has changed. He will NEVER change. He is a malignant tumor. Cut him out of your life with surgical precision. And remember, this isnt because you arent worth keeping in his life, its because he is worthless. You did not cause this.

/r/relationships Thread