For many of us, Grandparents played an important role in our lives. Now more than ever, grandparents seem to be actively involved in the raising of their grandchild(ren). In many instances, a grandparent may be raising their grandchild all together. If you have found yourself in such a situation, or you know someone who is, you may be wondering, “can I get custody of my grandchild?” This blog provides a brief overview for grandparents who are exploring options for obtaining custody of a grandchild they are ... Read More
08
Nov2019
27
Aug2019
You do not have to be a lawyer to recognize that today’s children are being raised in large numbers by third-parties, ranging from grandparents to relatives to friends and total strangers. Knowing how important stability is to a child’s sense of well-being, many third-parties mistakenly believe that they can just file in court and obtain “custody” since they are raising someone else’s children. However, the United States Supreme Court has determined that natural (and ... Read More
23
May2019
The family dynamic is something that is always changing, and there is certainly no “standard” or “normal” family. After a divorce or a final determination in a paternity case, often one parent of a child has what is called primary physical custody, and the other parent (the “non-custodial parent”) has what is called parenting time. The terms of the non-custodial parent’s parenting time may take many different shapes, but in general, if ... Read More
20
Aug2018
Today the definition of “family” is constantly changing and has a different meaning for Millennials than Boomers and is driven by the state of our society. Grandparents are raising their grandchildren. A friend, neighbor, or coach may be raising a child that is not his or her child. Presently, many kids are in DCS’ placement with foster families. Adults, parents, and grandparents are living longer, need assistance as they get older, and may move in with their children and live together for a long time. At some point, many of these situations ... Read More
19
Feb2018
In many homes across America today, a grandparent (or third party) is the one raising a child or children of the biological parents. This may be for many reasons; typically, it is due to the instability of a parent, physical or mental health issues, drug use, incarceration of a parent or a pure lack of the ability and/or desire of a biological parent, well, to parent. This blog addresses what happens when a grandparent (or third party) becomes a bonded caregiver for ... Read More
07
Jul2016
All issues involving child custody and child support have significant social, political, economic and psychological dynamics operating within the legal system and controlling laws. Two key policies that support the law is to maintain the child with a style of living as if the parents were married and meet the child’s best interests.
In the very broad area, this blog post explores three trends that are slowly changing domestic law across the country: joint custody, child support ending at age 18, and third parties ... Read More
17
Feb2015
In the past 40 years, the number us U.S. Children living in a grandparents home and being cared for by grandparents had more than doubled.1 This does number does not include the significant numbers of children being reared by friends and other family. With infants and toddlers, the caretaker may become the child’s primary attachment.
However, parents, even ones who effectively abandon his/her child and come back later, have a fundamental right under the United States Constitution to raise their children and seek their return. Under present Indiana law, a grandparent ... Read More