J
Jwtinker
Guest
- Jurisdiction
- Alabama
I have temporary custody of my nephew and I was wondering, what are the chances of getting full custody, as well as the potential costs involved?
I have had temporary custody of him for almost 2 years now. He originally came to stay with my wife and I in March of 2014 when DHR in Tuscaloosa became involved with her sister, he was 3 years old at the time. She thought they would take him from her, so she sent him to us.She continually put him in unsafe situations as well as neglecting him, things like not changing his diaper all day, having him out all night while she drove around, leaving him to fix himself food, he was even still drinking milk from a bottle at night and had 5 cavities as a result.
The main reason she lost custody temporarily was because she went to DHR for help (she was living with an abusive man), but ended up losing him because she changed her mind about the man, but also was in jail for pushing her mother the day the courts made a decision in May 2014. She was ordered to pay $247/month in child support and to this day has not paid a dime.
My wife passed away in October 2014 and since then I have been raising him on my own. I have tried to encourage his mother because I thought it was the right thing to do, but I have come to believe that she will never be a fit mother. I feel she is incapable of self sacrifice. The courts told her she needed to get a stable place to live, a steady job, and steady transportation. For a long time she was still getting welfare by claiming that she had him and for all I know that may still be the case. She has a place to live because she moved in with a new guy that she is has been with for at least 8 months I believe, she has had a steady job for a while now, but the only vehicle she has belongs to her boyfriend which they share.
She has constantly lied to me and I really feel like most of the time she just tells me what she thinks I want to here. For a long time she was occasionally missing her weekly phone calls and biweekly visitation. She has been consistent in those things lately, but I just feel like this isn't a real priority to her; I mean, it's been over 2 years since he has been living with me.
I love this child and I look at him like a son, he has almost been with me as long as he has with her. Of course, I don't want to lose him, but I also have come to believe that it is not in his best interest to go back to her. She has no sense of responsibility, no real sense of morality, and has shown me repeatedly that I can not trust her. He is such a smart little boy and has so much potential and I just feel like she would destroy that if he went back to her.
Is there anything I can do in this situation? I don't have a lot of money, but I want him to have the best life possible and I just know that won't happen with her.
I have had temporary custody of him for almost 2 years now. He originally came to stay with my wife and I in March of 2014 when DHR in Tuscaloosa became involved with her sister, he was 3 years old at the time. She thought they would take him from her, so she sent him to us.She continually put him in unsafe situations as well as neglecting him, things like not changing his diaper all day, having him out all night while she drove around, leaving him to fix himself food, he was even still drinking milk from a bottle at night and had 5 cavities as a result.
The main reason she lost custody temporarily was because she went to DHR for help (she was living with an abusive man), but ended up losing him because she changed her mind about the man, but also was in jail for pushing her mother the day the courts made a decision in May 2014. She was ordered to pay $247/month in child support and to this day has not paid a dime.
My wife passed away in October 2014 and since then I have been raising him on my own. I have tried to encourage his mother because I thought it was the right thing to do, but I have come to believe that she will never be a fit mother. I feel she is incapable of self sacrifice. The courts told her she needed to get a stable place to live, a steady job, and steady transportation. For a long time she was still getting welfare by claiming that she had him and for all I know that may still be the case. She has a place to live because she moved in with a new guy that she is has been with for at least 8 months I believe, she has had a steady job for a while now, but the only vehicle she has belongs to her boyfriend which they share.
She has constantly lied to me and I really feel like most of the time she just tells me what she thinks I want to here. For a long time she was occasionally missing her weekly phone calls and biweekly visitation. She has been consistent in those things lately, but I just feel like this isn't a real priority to her; I mean, it's been over 2 years since he has been living with me.
I love this child and I look at him like a son, he has almost been with me as long as he has with her. Of course, I don't want to lose him, but I also have come to believe that it is not in his best interest to go back to her. She has no sense of responsibility, no real sense of morality, and has shown me repeatedly that I can not trust her. He is such a smart little boy and has so much potential and I just feel like she would destroy that if he went back to her.
Is there anything I can do in this situation? I don't have a lot of money, but I want him to have the best life possible and I just know that won't happen with her.
