StepDad Custody

I live in New York. My fiancee recently passed away. She has a 14 year old daughter who I have raised for the last 12 years. I covered her on insurance and everything. Anyways she wants to stay here at our home where she has lived all her life. She does not want to leave her family where she has a 26yr old brother and a 10 year old brother. The 26yr old is slightly mentally challanged and that is why he still lives at home and always will. Since I have had a stable job for 11 years, insured her, raised her, and have a stable household what are my chances of her being able to stay. He lives in PA but said he would move back to Rome just to get her. (A judge placed a temp order for her to stay with me at this time) I have read were it is the Best Interest of the Child and since the child is 14 and want to stay I should be ok. Also I have read where Detrimental to the Child includes removing the child from the only place she knows as home and from the person who has supported her both physically and emotionally for the most of her life. But I have read where NY does not take these things into concideration. Her father is not a bad person except he likes to play emotional games with her. She constantly cries when she is with him.

Child Support Enforcement

Hello,

I am trying to enforcement my support case in TN from another State. My ex-husband currently owes me over 61K. Since neither state has been any assistance to me. How do I proceed in enforcing through a private attorney. Do I need to hire one in my state or can I obtain an attorney in TN

marital

I am wondering what the difference is between getting a divorce by means of a lawyer vs. a mediator. The Pros and Cons of each. Please advise..thank you,.

Divorce/Family Law

My attorneys told me today that my husbands' attorney had a heartattack & my OSC next Mon. will probably result in a continuance. Furthermore since husband will not pay my attorneys now they are finished w/my case. I am practically destitute paying months of (unknown) unpaid bills and taking care of 1 minor child & 1 full time student--------Can't temporary support be ordered by the judge anyway? I'm afraid my attorneys have not been upfront about this........Husband is in another state lucratively working (finally)w/a 3 yr. restraining order & will drag this out at all costs. Meanwhile he hasn't paid taxes since 2003 and we owe over $150,000. I am a teacher and only want to move on w/my life after 22 years. Husband is a registered sex offender and yet wants to continue visitation argument for minor child. Oldest 2 want nothing to do w/him. How can I have some amount of support awarded to me this next day in court regardless of the fact that his attorney will not be there and his representative is asking for a continuance?

both parents moved out of area from original divorce settlement

If neither divorced parent of a minor (joint custody) live in same county where child custody and divorce were originally filed, would the parent seeking relief from the court file in the original county?

custody

I am the lititioner and I wanted to know that when you file a motion of referral to general magistrate and get a hearing set what if the respondant refuses to participate the GM so what would be the next step.. respondant has not wanted to participate in the mediation.

custody and visitation

My son is currently incarcarated and he has a 4 year old son who mother is trying to get full legal custody of to stop him from having visitation with his father. The mothe went to the jail and started a confrontation which ended in him striking her, and tapping the baby for not listening. Which I believe she did to enhance her ability to get his visitation revoked and full custody. Is there anyway I as grandmother can step in on my son's behalf and get joint custody and visitation, because the mother won't let me see the baby either when she's upset with my son.

Family Law/Child custody

What is the legal age a child can chose who he wants to live with, in Texas?

do parents have anything to say to a 17 year old moving out?

one of my friends is thinking about moving out when she turns 17. we live in michigan, i know it relevant because i know laws very from state to state. but can her parents do anything to make her come home? i'm hearing 2 completely different stories and i want to get it right. ( i know the stuff about parents being responsible for their child until they turn 18 but i heard about a loop-hole that once a child is 17 your parents can't make you come home and can't file a missing persons report if they know were their going to live) i'm 18 and shes thinking about moving in with me. will her mom be able to get police involved? we live in the same city as her parents. well thank you.

Ceasing Spousal Support in Texas

Our divorce decree included spousal support that I must pay for five years or until my ex either remarries or cohabitates. She has been cohbitating with her boyfriend for seven months. How do I petition the court to end spousal support and what will I need to prove cohabitation?

Safeguarding assets from before marriage

I have assets but my future fiancee has debt and liablilties. My acquired assets before marriage would remain in my name after marraige. Is there a risk that I may become liable for any of his liabilities or debt? Is there a way to protect my assets even though they remain in my name only after marriage? thanks

child visitation

my ex wife refuses to honor my visitation rights. she refuses my proper days on a whim as an act of vindication against me. what is my proper course of action?

Seperation

Can a spouse take a small child 3 months old away from the mom and not tell her where they are at or let her see the child and can he have her removed from their apartment knowing she has another child by a previous relationship that will be out in the streets with her? Is this legal?

Ending a Marriage

I got married on a whim in Vegas 3 years ago. We were students at the time and even though we thought it was a mistake and wanted to end it, neither of us had the money to figure out the system to do so. We have never lived together. Furthermore, after the marriage he publicly came out of the closet (a fact I did not know at the time) I now live in CA (but am in DC for school), and him in HI. I am still a student, but I want to get this taken care of and need to know the process of ending a marriage, preferably with an annulment. How to file for it? Do I need a lawyer? Do I need to be in the same place as the guy? Where to start? Etc.

family law

my sons soon to be ex wife crack addict had our 1st grandchild as a crack addict. she was a school teacher age 37 and my son a student age 17.she has visitation thur dss. does my son have a good chance at getting custody of his daughter

Divorce and child custody

If a divorce is not final and a rule 11 agreement was made regarding child custody can it be changed if one party changes their mind?

Mediation and decree in texas

My ex and I went to mediation and settled our divorce case. In Texas, with both attorneys present and a mediator. The mediator wrote down everything we agreed to and we all signed it. My ex's attorney drew up the final papers and submitted them. The papers he submitted addressed all the issues my ex was interested in but errored or left out most issues I had fought for that were agreed to in the signed mediation documents. My attorney dropped the ball (in so many ways) and let the papers go through like this. It was final before I was even aware papers were drafted. My attorney then went back and had certain revisions made on the basis of the mediation agreement without my reviewing them. I never saw either copy of the papers (I never signed anything either). This was several years ago but I am still having issues thrown in my face by my ex because there were still agreements made in the mediation that are not correct in the final decree. What can I do?

Also my attorney's firm had major issues during my divorce and a few months after finalized he stopped billing me and doesn't answer or return calls. Still has a machine answering at his number though.

Parental Rights

I met my ex girlfriend while she was already pregnant. When the child was born I agreed to take responsibility and sign the Acknowledgement of Paternity at the hospital. The child is now 2 years old and has my name. As of six months ago we split up and live seperately but my son lives with me 5 days out of the week, so about 70-80 percent of the time. I live in my own home, and she floats around from house to house. Their living conditions are clean but with a lower income they have a harder time with bills. She filed for medicaid and now attorney general wants to garnish full child support and said even though exgirlfriend and i agreed neither of us would give each other money I STILL have to comply and have my wages garnished. My question is what position do i have now? Does that paternity acknowledgement grant me full rights and I can now try to go to court to get real custody and possibly go back to the initial ''no exchange of money'' agreement?

family trying to take my kids

I currently live with my same sex partner. My parents went to attny to get custody of my two children. Aug I had a stroke and as a result I have seizeirs can they use that against me...my illness and that I live with my partner.

Child custody/separation

I am separating from my husband, I am home with the kids during the day, he takes care of them at night while I work. The kids will stay home and we will rotate around them, me staying here 1 weekend and my husband staying here the other. If I sleep at my parents during the week, can that come back to show me as an unfit mother, abandoning and volunteering to leave, even though I am with them during the day? Does that make my husband primary caregiver since they are sleeping in the same house? Does the weekend plan matter, if we all lived together during the week and the kids spent every other wknd with 1 parent, is that an option?