Q: Grandparent has filed summons regarding my child to appear in Bexar county family court, but I live in Georgia.
My niece used to live in San Antonio but after her boyfriend was murdered, she moved to Georgia. She shared a child with him. His mother is now filling for rights to their child in Bexar county on 22 Dec. 2023 for 02 Jan. 2024. She received notice via email. She doesn't have funds to travel or to pay for representation to appear in person. Since she won't be able to appear in court Tuesday, what can she do to prevent having a ruling against her next Tuesday?
A:
This is a tough one to answer because we do not have enough information. When did this move from Bear County, Texas to Georgia occur? That will determine which state has jurisdiction over the child to decide a custody case.
We also do not have a copy of the grandparent's petition. Did the grandparent lie and accuse the asker of absconding with the child - which will result in a writ of habeas corpus against the asker? Or, could it be the grandparent was honest and is seeking grandparent visitation which a difficult objective to reach?
The asker must seek out counsel and find ways to negotiate a fee. Otherwise, the labyrinthine legal system in both states will yield nothing.
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