If my husband and I get joint custody of my step son?

Question

Does that mean I have equal parental rights or am I just a by-stander?

Answer 1

well being that u are married you are a step parent but i think to have any parental rights you would have to adopt him

Answer 2

if you have joint custody, you have equal rights.

that means, for example, he can't take the boy out of the state/province without your written consent but neither can you.

things like extracurricular activities, school expenses, medical expenses, and other child-rearing costs have to be split 50/50.

Answer 3

My husband got full custody of his son two years ago and he lives with us full time.  Unfortunately, you are just a bystander.  You have no legal right to him.  I found this out the hard way.  You could look into adoption, but I think the mother has to sign away her rights for you to adopt.  Good luck!

Answer 4

You have the same rights that your husband does to the child because you are married. Before I married my husband, his ex wife put a stipulation in their divorce papers that I wasn't allowed unattended with our stepson (NOT because of anything I've done, she was just being a b!t*h about it & trying to split us up...she didn't like the fact that he had moved on to someone else). My husband's lawyer told him to agree to it, because as soon as we got married, that stipulation goes away, no matter what his ex wants.