Legal Question in Family Law in Texas
grandparent raising grandchild
i've have raised my grandchild, berkli all of her life; but i got custody in 1999; managing conservator. she is 12 years old. both parents incarcerated when i got custody. no child support ordered at that time. the mother is in prison again. i recently filed for child support through the texas attorney generals office. court hearing is june 12, 2008. he says he will get custody of her to keep from paying me and if not he will sign his rights to her away. he is in process of getting a divorce and has moved to a new address and has changed employers in the last month. he does not feel that info. is my business. our court order says we have to provide the new info. within ten days of any changes. do i have to let her go with him to the dallas/ft. worth area (we're in amarillo) if he refuses to give me the info? if he gets her down there and trys to keep her can i go there with my court order and the police to get her back or do i have to file a new court case? the only reason he would try to keep her is to get out of paying child support and she will make a good babysitter for his two younger children while he's dating the new woman. i can't afford an attorney, can i represent myself? what paper work would i file?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: grandparent raising grandchild
Can you represent yourself? Nothing prevents you from doing that. Do you know all of the law and the procedures? Otherwise, you might as well hand over the child and go back to what you were doing. Without a lawyer, you will have no idea what to do, what to say, or how to do it or when to say it. Even I sometimes have trouble with that equation. Although some judges are lenient, their job is not to help you get what you want. If you are not prepared, then their job is to follow the law. If this is important to you, you better find a way to hire a good lawyer. Many lawyers take payments, and as long as you're paid up, I go to Court. If not, I'll try to get a continuace once or twice until you're paid up. If you can't pay, I don't go. Just like the gas station. Good Luck.
Re: grandparent raising grandchild
Can you represent yourself? Nothing prevents you from doing that. Do you know all of the law and the procedures? Otherwise, you might as well hand over the child and go back to what you were doing. Without a lawyer, you will have no idea what to do, what to say, or how to do it or when to say it. Even I sometimes have trouble with that equation. Although some judges are lenient, their job is not to help you get what you want. If you are not prepared, then their job is to follow the law. If this is important to you, you better find a way to hire a good lawyer. Many lawyers take payments, and as long as you're paid up, I go to Court. If not, I'll try to get a continuace once or twice until you're paid up. If you can't pay, I don't go. Just like the gas station. Good Luck.
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