Reading, PA asked in Child Custody and Family Law for Pennsylvania

Q: Is it legal for grandparents to bully a single mom into signing over partial custody of her child to them under threats

My sister got pregnant and her boyfriend died from OD. His grandparents asked my sister to move in and offered her fancy cars and concerts. She moved in, had the baby, and is now struggling to stay sober. She has maintained FT employment and paid for everything. They let her live in their attached apt free. They now claim she is unfit based on little evidence since she stays with her biological parents half the time. They wrote up a "contract" and part of it was that she would sign over partial custody of the baby to them. If she refused they would take her to court, knowing she has not enough money to fight them. They also threatened to take and leave the baby at DCS and kick her off their insurance so she could not go to rehab. Is this legal? She had no legal representation when this happened, and it was signed in front of their lawyer .

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1 Lawyer Answer
Cary B. Hall
Cary B. Hall
Answered
  • Divorce Lawyer
  • Norristown, PA
  • Licensed in Pennsylvania

A: Your sister should contact the Reading Office of MidPenn Legal Services (presuming she is located where you are, per your question), and schedule an appointment with someone there to go over the "agreement" and her legal options. The contact information for that office is here:

https://www.palawhelp.org/organization/midpenn-legal-services-reading-office

Otherwise, she should locate her local "legal aid" office in Pennsylvania and contact them. Best of luck to her.

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