Q: Changing over or adding a custodian for a child
My son has lived with his grandmother most of his life and she has custody of him. I have recently amended things and have been in contact with my son and grandmother. He is now 17. I have not had custody since I gave him up when he was a baby as I could not care for him. The other parent is not involved in the child’s life. My son has now come to live with me with the grandmother’s blessing. We are trying to figure out the easiest way for me to get custody/guardianship of my son as I am not on the birth certificate and I live in a different state from the grandmother. I want to be able to add him to my insurance and ensure there are no issues making decisions, enrolling him in school, etc
The grandmother lives in Alabama and my son was born in Mississippi however has lived with his grandmother in Alabama for most of his life.
A: Your son will be an "adult" probably by the time you read this and you won't need to do anything. However, if you're aching to pay a lawyer to do something, you need only make a phone call to the grandmother and say, "hey grandma, since we have agreed to let my son come live with me, I am aware that in Idaho, the "guardian" or "natural or other legal parent" of a child may, for a period not to exceed six (6) months, sign over her rights to the minor child on a piece of paper, without the necessity of going to court, and with any luck she will do just that! Good luck to you!
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
