Legal Question in Family Law in California

Re: Lost custody

If your daughter has already been adopted, you have already lost your parental rights and can't just sue for custody or visitation. Since she is in CA, you should consult with an attorney in California.

Re: Lost custody

You have no legal rights if your daughter has been adopted. The fact that your mother retains visitation rights is great in that you get a chance to stay informed about how she is doing. Do not ask your mother to pass messages. Photos of you may of course be displayed and she should feel free to mention how you are doing. When your daughter is 18 years old your mother may then give her information about you and it will be up to her if she wants a relationship. You need to continue to work on this issue in therapy. The loss of a child due to drug addiction is tough stuff and it doesn't help to pretend that it is going to be reversed when she is 12. No court is going to take custody away from the adopted parents in favor of the bio parent just because you finally got off drugs. A child can't wait for years for the parent. Instead, you need to wait until she is eighteen to try to make amends to her. Every day of sobriety that you will have on her eighteenth birthday is the best gift that you can offer.