Q: My friend missed her court date for custody of her daughter, what can she do?
The reason for her missing the court date is because the post office misplaced her key to her mail box when she moved into her new apartment in February of this year, and it took them until this past week to get it to her. Another factor in this case is the father was only just recently recognized after a paternity test was done because he never signed the birth certificate when she was born because he didn't believe she was his daughter. The court ordered test came back that she is in fact his daughter. I guess i just would like to know what my friends options are, she can not afford a lawyer and is really beat up about losing her daughter. legal advice would be greatly appreciated.
A: There's no legal advice that can be given under the information provided. I will say that she should find a way to "afford an attorney" as issues relating to custody are very complex. She should hire an experienced family law attorney who can then file the appropriate legal documents to request that the court undo what the court did by granting him custody. She will of course have to explain the circumstances and have some documentation from the post office relating to the misplacement of her mailbox key. I assume she notified the court of her new address.The best legal advice is to hire an attorney.
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