Legal Question in Juvenile Dependency in Florida

Baby in my home

We hae been raising my husbands niece since she was 4 months old. We don't get any assistance and the mother is getting assistance from the state for her. She lets someone else claim the child on their taxes and she lives with us. We do everythign for her, but the mother will not give us custody. We can't get the child medical care and she needs to go to the doctor and get her shots. Her mother will not take her and she has not been to the doctor since she was released from the hospital for respiratory failure at 4 months old. What steps do we take to get custody? We don't have a lot of money and we rather spend it on the care of the child.


Asked on 7/25/07, 8:43 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert Simpson

Re: Baby in my home

You could get legal guardianship through the Court; you may get the mother to consent to an adoption. However, I fail to understand how the mother lives with you and "someone else" claims the child on the income tax return? Who? Sounds a little fraudulent to me. What happens to the money the mother gets for the child? From where?

The child could also be dependent based on the mother's medical neglect.

Seeing an attorney may be money well spent to protect this child.

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Answered on 7/25/07, 10:47 am


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