I want custody of my 14 year old half sister!!?

Question

I am a 19 year old female and want custody of my 14 year old sister. She wanted to runaway to me but i told just wait Ill see if i can get custody. I dont know what the odd of me winning. What would I have to prove? Our mom is a drug addict she on coke and her emotions are out of wack. She never stable. She out almost everynight gambing and partying. She slaps her when my sister talk back. I heard from my sister that she tried to throw a big thick plate at her. I was taking away when i was young because of her negeclting me and I was put into foster care Now she necgelting her!! Right now she living in Or. with her friend and My mom never check on her. But i live in Wa. I wanted to know how i get started and if it possiable for me to get her and what i would have to do to get her. Plz help she really need me!!!

Answer 1

I  would contact Washington's child welfare department and see what the process is.  You can go to http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/index.html to get started in that process.  She also needs to talk to a trusted adult in her life (teacher, counselor, pastor, doctor...someone with mandatory reporting obligations) about the abuse and neglect.

Best wishes!

Answer 2

Ask your mam for permission for your younger sister to live with you, it may be the quickest way. Then sort out papers & get your mam to sign them. If not, you have a strong case. I'd look straight into a lawyer & get things moving. The sooner your little sister living with you the better. For 19 you are very mature. Good luck x

Answer 3

Well with your mom like she is you can always just ask your mother to sign over rights. Realize this is gonna be a big step for you. If she wont just sign her over then you have to go threw the legal system, you will have to call a local laywer. You may even have to go threw legal council in the state your sister is in. You will have to prove you can care for her. You will have to have space for her, and the money to support her. The means to keep her in school and all the basics.

It is a hard fight..I commend you as the big sister..stay strong I have been there.

Answer 4

She is at the age where she can legally choose which parent she wants to live with but, I think you should take her to the court house and talk to the family law facilitator they are basically people in family law who are allowed to give you legal advice which i am not. And they are free to talk to.

Answer 5

You actually stands a good chance if you have a home and a job to support and care for her.  Contact CPS and let them know what is going on and that you want to get your sister.  They can usually help you.  It may be hard but will be worth the battle.

Answer 6

Contact legal aid, and your local DHS workers to get approved for foster care.  Is there any way your mom would let you have your sister for the summer vacation voluntarily?  If she's in your care for then anyway, it might be easier.  Do you know the caseworker who handled your placement?  Contact him/her, that way you can get the history of your mother's past.  You'll have to be ready in a heartbeat to have a home study, which will check your background, your home's size, safety, and even to make sure that medicine and poison cabinets are locked.  Good luck

Answer 7

I am 17. I wanted away from my mother. I ran away. Honestly it isnt the most legal way but it is the easiest way. She should run away to you then you take her immediatly to the local dcs office and explain what is happening. They will drug test your mother before she would ever have a chance to get her back. your sister has to be very firm about not going back and being scared. It becomes hard to stay firm about your decision but she needs to be with you. You have to be able to take care of her finacially and you will have to pass drug test and have room in your home for her to have her own room. Any more wuestions...contact me at [e-mail]

Answer 8

You can go to the courthouse and file for guardianship (here guardianships are handled through probate court, not family court).  You will be interviewed by the caseworker, he or she will come to your house and want to see where your sister will be living and sleeping.  They will want to look over your financials to make sure you can afford to keep her.  Also, if you've ever had any legal or emotional problems, that will be investigated, too.  These kinds of things don't necessarily exclude you from guardianship, it's just a deciding factor.  They want to know not so much if you have issues (who doesn't?) but how are you dealing with them and life in general.

You could ask your mom to go voluntarily and sign guardianship over to you, but know that if your sister lives with you, your mom and your sisters dad (who also has to sign off) will be required to pay child support.  That isn't always very heavily enforced, but paying money for child support means less money for drugs, so you may have a fight there.

I agree with the other person who said to try getting her to come stay with you for the summer.  That does make it easier to show that you can care for her.

So, it goes something like this:

-You petition the court for guardianship

-The caseworker interviews you, visits your home, checks you out thoroughly.

-At some point, they might interview her parents, and investigate the claims you and your sister are making

-You go to court.  If the parents agree to give you guardianship, that's it.  

I'm not sure what happens if they fight it too hard, but the more evidence you have agaginst them, the less likely they will be to fight it.

Write down everything when it comes to your mom.  Conversations you may have about your sister, interactions she has with your sister, etc...

Be specific!  Keep a notebook.  Write down dates, times and places.  

Best of luck to you and your sister!

Answer 9

Your mom is a drug addict, you can basically consider yourself your sisters new guardian, just hire a lawyer and you will get her no problem.