Can we FaceTime my sister? (Missouri/Arizona)

[yellowjeepgal]

Jurisdiction

Missouri

Hi, my sister lives all the way out in Arizona now with her dad and grandparents, and we lives all the way out in Missouri. he got full custody of her because my mom was and still is unfortunately on drugs, and she's been asking if we could FaceTime her we all have iPhones and I have an iPad and we haven't seen her in 4 years and they just moved out to Arizona from KS about a year ago. He says "yeah we're gonna have to set up some times" but he keeps putting it off so legally do I have any rights? I'm her sister she's 11 and I'm 21 and we share a mother. They used to live in Johnson county, Kansas in Overland Park, and we live in Jackson County KCMO,
but now they live in Chandler, AZ.



P.S. no my mother did not sign her rights away to him, so if she got clean we could potentially have her. Thanks!

 

[army judge]

so legally do I have any rights?

No, you're a sibling. Siblings aren't vested with any custodial rights in each other.

You need to be polite towards the child's custodial parent. If you pester, annoy, harang, or harass him; you might alienate him such that he seeks a restraining order against perceived custodial interference.

That said, the current custodial parent would have to become disabled such that he/she was unable to care for the child(ren).

However, if the child's custodial parent were to die, you could seek permanent custody of the child, if you so desired.

Bear in mind, that just because you sought custody, there's no guarantee a court would award such custody to you.

 

[army judge]

P.S. no my mother did not sign her rights away to him, so if she got clean we could potentially have her. Thanks!

Again, that means nothing, insofar as you're concerned.

 

[adjusterjack]

legally do I have any rights?

No.

I'm her sister she's 11 and I'm 21

She's a minor. Her custodial parent is in total control of her life. Your mother has no power to consent for you to do anything.

she's been asking if we could FaceTime

He says "yeah we're gonna have to set up some times" but he keeps putting it off

Then she, the 11 year old, is going to have to be the one to melt her father's heartstrings to get permission to face time with you and you are just going to have to be patient.

As Army Judge says, if you keep pushing, he will be more resistant. Leave it be and let your sister handle it.

Heck, when my daughter was 11, I would do anything for her.

 

[Red Kayak]

You need to be polite towards the child's custodial parent.

Just reiterating that this is good advice.

@yellowjeepgal, although you are a legal adult, you are still very young, and are coming across as even younger.

Dad stepped up to take custody of his kid, with the help of extended family, when Mom couldn't. Focus on being a supportive force. You're coming across as someone with a chip on your shoulder. Whatever Dad's negatives are, he's currently more functional than Mom, and you should be thankful for that.

Do you still live with Mom? If so, I can understand how Dad could be concerned.

 

[yellowjeepgal]

No, you're a sibling. Siblings aren't vested with any custodial rights in each other.

You need to be polite towards the child's custodial parent. If you pester, annoy, harang, or harass him; you might alienate him such that he seeks a restraining order against perceived custodial interference.

That said, the current custodial parent would have to become disabled such that he/she was unable to care for the child(ren).

However, if the child's custodial parent were to die, you could seek permanent custody of the child, if you so desired.

Bear in mind, that just because you sought custody, there's no guarantee a court would award such custody to you.

Lo

Just reiterating that this is good advice.

@yellowjeepgal, although you are a legal adult, you are still very young, and are coming across as even younger.

Dad stepped up to take custody of his kid, with the help of extended family, when Mom couldn't. Focus on being a supportive force. You're coming across as someone with a chip on your shoulder. Whatever Dad's negatives are, he's currently more functional than Mom, and you should be thankful for that.

Do you still live with Mom? If so, I can understand how Dad could be concerned.

 

[yellowjeepgal]

Lo

I also forgot to mention that he basically does nothing for his child his mom is basically raising her, so if anything I would say she's the ones stepping up. Even around us he didn't do anything with her. He's manipulated our family, kept us away from her, and all I asked was if I could FaceTime her, I just miss her and I'm trying to be proactive. I don't know where all this hostility is coming from. You do not know the whole story.

 

[Red Kayak]

I also forgot to mention that he basically does nothing for his child his mom is basically raising her, so if anything I would say she's the ones stepping up. Even around us he didn't do anything with her. He's manipulated our family, kept us away from her, and all I asked was if I could FaceTime her, I just miss her and I'm trying to be proactive. I don't know where all this hostility is coming from. You do not know the whole story.

Again, do you and your mom live in the same household?

I'm not surprised that Dad isn't Father of the Year material - after all, he procreated with your mom.

You need therapy and Nar-Anon. You are so close to your mother's mess that you really can't grasp just how negatively it has affected you.

 

[adjusterjack]

You do not know the whole story.

Sure we do. We see it here every day. Everybody who posts plays the blame game.

Take a look at:

Parental Alienation

Two divorced parents are planning the summer. A court decision is pending on the new schedule within 3 weeks. "Parent A" makes it clear to the other "Parent B" that the schedule will remain 50/50 this summer per the existing court order until the new order comes out. Then "Parent B" takes the...

www.thelaw.com

 

[zddoodah]

legally do I have any rights?

Of course you have rights. You do not, however, have any rights regarding your minor half-sister until a court says otherwise.

You do not know the whole story.

I've been posting on legal message boards for two and a half decades, and this is probably the most irksome comment that anyone makes. Of course we don't have the whole story. Why is that? It's because you didn't provide the whole story. If someone has reached a conclusion you don't like, don't criticize the conclusion or the person because he/she doesn't "know the whole story." If there's relevant information, it's up to you to provide it.