I want custody of my 8 year old sister due to a mentally abusive mother. I'm 21. How do I go about this?

Question

I have been out of my mother's house for 3 years. I have 2 stable jobs that still allow plenty of time off. My mother has been mentally abusive for my entire life, and on more than one occasion has been physically abusive to her own mother and to me. I know that my sister is afraid of her and that she would rather live with me. Her father has a schedule and lifestyle that would not be compatible with raising her, and he would not be able to change it. My mother does not work; she relies on her mother's money and forces her mother to pay every bill. She is an unfit mother all around and does nothing but spend all of her time and money on her boyfriend, who lives an hour away from her. I have gone down to her house to take are of my sister for days at a time; and every time I walked into that house it was filthy and there was no food in the house, so I cleaned it and bought groceries so my sister could eat. I have had enough of her living this way and I want to know how I can get custody of her, because I know I would be able to take better care of her than our mother is.

Answer 1

Talk to a lawyer.

Answer 2

Watch the movie Gracie's Choice and you'll get an idea of what to do.

Get proof.

Testify.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

i'm not sure how, but that sounds really sad :( i'll keep you and your younger sister in my prayers...

Answer 4

Call the childrens aid society next time she abandons her daughter...let them know that you want custody.  You have to get her declared unfit somehow. It won't be easy.

Your sister will likely have to say she wants to stay with you too.

You will have to prove you can financially provide for her and provide daycare too.  Too bad you can't convince grandma to abandon the daughter and live with YOU.

Answer 5

It sounds like you could get her for not only child abuse and neglect but also elderly abuse I don't know how old your grandmother is but you might consider that too.You can call CPS or the department of human services,they should be able to help you.

Answer 6

Talk to a lawyer and make sure the mental abuse is somehow documented or at least obvious or proveable.

Answer 7

court court court

thats really nice your doing that

but go to courtt :)

Answer 8

Contact an attorney and have proof of everything. No your sister does not need to live in a home like that. An attorney can tell you more about how you would go about getting custody of her.

Answer 9

You are going to need an attorney..a good one.  They are expensive, but you may be able to get someone to do some pro-bono work for you.  Contact your local law center or courthouse for a listing of attorneys who perform pro-bono (free) work.

Good luck

Answer 10

Well, you could go through the long battles with court and all that trial c**p, or you could kidnap her.  But it depends on whether or not you can afford jail time! :D

DEFF WORKS

Answer 11

Is there a social worker involved? If so, you need to talk to them to see if they'd support such a thing.

Do you have the means to support yourself and sister? They'll look at that.

If you really feel like you can take care of her better, then you have to prove your mom is unfit. That means getting people to say so in court if necessary. You'll need an attorney. There's no way to get custody of a child that isn't yours without legal aide. You can contact some places that help with abused children to see if there are any attorney's that might help you pro-bono or using a sliding scale with payments.

It's a very sad thing when children aren't given a decent live, but it's nice to know you care. Good Luck!  

Answer 12

i beieve if you get lawyer you can change it and show that she is for you and maybe you could be guardian instead not sure but lawyer can help you with this and i am sure you can get her. try take care.

Answer 13

First off gather evidence and get some witnesses like your grandmother. Then hire a  lawyer. You have to go to court to do this. You have to prove that your mother is totally unfit. Your poor sister. Im sorry to hear this. I dont know if you can afford a lawyer but Im sure there are some lawyers that do pro bono cases.

Answer 14

Tell them that every thing u said there * if it don't work i suggest a good lawer*

Answer 15

just call CPS they will get the ball rolling

Answer 16

talk to a lawyer, but they'll probably tell you that you need lots and LOTS of PROOF.  it is very difficult to get a child away from a biological mother.  understand that they will ask your sister a lot of questions, and that your sister must be honest-children are very impressionable.  is your father around?  your mother might have the ability to block the legal system a lot, as she is still the legal guardian of your sister.

and make sure that you are prepared to take care of a child for at least the next 10 years.  make sure that you understand the emotional, mental, and financial responsibilities.  taking this on at such a young age is a HUGE responsibility, and the court may doubt your ability to do it alone.  are there any other family members who would help you raise her?  are they prepared to testify to that?