Q: How can I gain custody of my granddaughters aged 15 and 17 from their abusive father.
Their father was only in the picture when it was convenient for him. I helped raise, care for, and provide for them since their birth and was with them pretty much everyday. When their Mother passed on January 6, 2018, they went to live with their dad and he has cut off almost all contact with them. They have never been allowed to talk about their Mom or grieve and display any kind of emotion without getting into serious trouble from their dad and stepmom. They have 3 younger daughters than my two granddaughters one of which is just one year younger than my youngest granddaughter. This daughter has rule of the house over everything. My 2 granddaughters have been abused physically, and emotionally. They are of the age when they should be able to make up their own minds where they want to live. My youngest granddaughter is on medication for PTSD and one of the side effects is suicidal thoughts and tendencies. They are the ones that found their mom dead on the living room floor.
A: You may file a petition for custody in your county's juvenile court. You have a lot of the deck stacked against you for this. You have to first prove that the father is an unsuitable parent, a high burden, and then prove that custody for you is in the best interest of the minor children. Most of these cases fail on the first hurdle.
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