Q: I am in a situation where I have a child by another woman, who I have never married or dated.
I pay child support monthly, but I have no contact or interaction with the child. The child's maternal grandmother wants to take legal custody of her and I agree with that. What does this mean for me? Will I still have an obligation to support her legally? What court proceedings will I have to go through? How long does this process usually take? Where should I begin? Is this something I would need a lawyer for? Thanks in advance for any information you are able to provide.
A: The legal proceedings and their duration will depend on a number of case-specific factors, especially the reason for the change, whether the mother of the child opposes the change in custody, etc. You would likely still have the obligation to support the child, though the amount of the support could change. A lawyer is not strictly necessary, but with an in-person consultation a lawyer could at least review your case and point you in the right direction. A lawyer could also help protect your interests with respect to the child and the support payments.
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