Q: How can I petition for full guardianship of a minor child if the mother is agreeable to the arrangement.
My husband and I are trying to obtain legal guardianship of a 14 year old minor child for whom we exclusively have been caring since October of 2012. Her mother has dragged her feet for two months completing the paperwork. How can we just file a petition for full guardianship? We can't get the child any assistance without a pending petition or a guardianship appointment. What do we do to simply file the petition ourselves. Right now, we have nothing more than a signed POA - which we didn't get until 2/1/2013.
A:
You need to file a Petition for Guardianship with the Probate Court. You are better off with an attorney for this as he already knows the procedures, and the forms and pleadings to file. Law, like medicine, should not be self-taught.
If the mom is truly agreeable, this should be a fairly quick and inexpensive proposition.
Best of luck to you.
John J. Keenan
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