Custody & Visitation questions and answers by state

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Custody & Visitation questions and answers

• How do I gain legal custody of my granddaughter? Daughter is unstable. Granddaughter lives with us full-time.

  Asked in Lafayette, IN | December 11, 2025

  My granddaughter has lived full-time with us since she was born. She is 7 years old. My daughter has been in and out of our house for the past three to four years. She is unstable and inconsistent with her financial support. Our daughter has allowed us access to school and medical decisions, but we need to make it more permanent. We would like to be her primary parent. Unfortunately, we are not able to pay $3-5,000 for a lawyer. We think this will be fairly simple and not contested. What are my options?

  Answered by 1 attorney

  

• My son is 15 years old and wants to come live with me. How do I go about doing this?

  Asked in Toms River, NJ | January 6, 2026

  I live in SC, and my son, with permission from a NJ judge, lived with me for 7 years. His father then filed for custody, and they granted it to him and moved my son to NJ. My son is very unhappy, and it has been horrible for years. I did absolutely nothing wrong to have my son taken away. My son acts one way with me (his true self) and completely differently with his father (he has learned how to survive). I pay child support. My son wants to come home to his family and me, his grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. What are my options?

  Answered by 1 attorney

  

• What can I do about unlawful visitation and interference?

  Asked in Cook County, IL | January 12, 2026

  My ex-wife is not allowing me for my visitation and refused to send the kids to school. What should I do?

  Answered by 1 attorney

  

• If someone used a protective order to get around a custody hearing can that be used back against them?

  Asked in Bunnell, FL | February 25, 2026

  My son's mother tried to move to FL in 2023 without my consent. I filed a custody hearing to resolve the issue, but she filed for a protective order to bypass the hearing and gain custody. I was not aware of the filing til a couple days before the hearing which I had to do via zoom since I did not live in FL and did not have an attorney due to short timing and the belief that since the allegations were false and thrown out in Maryland before multiple times the outcome would be the same, they however awarded her 7 years and full custody  In the months after Maryland was awarded the rightful jurisdiction, I was awarded primary custody after proving to the court I was a stable individual. Since then, she has tried to file multiple false claims in Maryland for protective orders and accusations, which have been dismissed. I am now looking to relocate and am fearful that this order will be used maliciously against me in other places, and I am trying to figure out the best way to proceed, especially since we have a child that she has visitation to. She has taken the child against the order and run off to FL before as well, last year, and held him for 6 months.

  Answered by 1 attorney

  

• I'm awaiting full custody of my three girls. How do I get legal help for getting custody?

  Asked in Indianapolis, IN | April 10, 2026

  Their dad has temporary custody right now, but I don't have a lot of money. How do I get legal help?

  Answered by 1 attorney

  

• How do I get sole custody in New York?

  Asked in Glen Cove, NY | April 13, 2020

  Answered by 1 attorney

  

• My child lives in California and I live in Colorado my child's mother hasn’t let me see my child in over 5 years

  Asked in Durango, CO | December 13, 2025

  My child's mother had changed her phone number and blocked me from everything. I am paying for child support. What can I do?

  Answered by 1 attorney

  

• How Do I Get Custody in a California Divorce?

  Asked in La Jolla, CA | May 24, 2018

  Answered by 2 attorneys

  

• Toddler’s father has history of drug abuse and he is now seeking custody. Odds of 50/50 or more?

  Asked in Medina, OH | April 9, 2026

  My toddler’s dad & I were never married. He has a history of drug abuse and has not lived with us for almost 1 year, after discovering drugs in the playpen & crib. He admits to drug abuse. He passed 1 hair follicle test recently and is now pushing for “at least” 50/50, but “ideally” full-custody. I have been the primary parent since birth & have handled every aspect of the child’s life. We live in different counties (adjacent). Dad has supervised visitation and is attempting to be involved since court dates have been scheduled. What is likely to happen with custody?

  Answered by 1 attorney

  

• How do I start a child custody agreement in Nashville, TN?

  Asked in Nashville, TN | December 15, 2025

  My son and his ex-girlfriend share a daughter. They have tried to work out a schedule where they share time with her. However, nothing is formalized and the mother does not adhere to said arrangements. They work at the same store and she complained to her boss that my son was harassing her when he went to her dept. to discuss drop off/pick up for the upcoming week.

  Answered by 1 attorney

  

• Is it possible to "ask for full custody"? I am the aunt. The father is abusing his child. He knows I have evidence

  Asked in Minneapolis, MN | March 10, 2026

  I am the Aunt. My brother's grandchild is being abused. I filed the latest CPS report. My brother will take his grandchild and is capable. I would be the child's caregiver because the child needs full-time care. Question is, can I ask the father for full custody without a long drawn-out court battle? There is mounting evidence of the abuse. Hospital records, CPS records, and my personal documentation. My niece was very close to winning CPS case, but, CPS said she was coaching or coercing during a therapy session. She is not involved much at this time.

  Answered by 1 attorney

  

• I need advice on getting some type of legal rights and custody over my non-biological son

  Asked in New York, NY | December 21, 2025

  I was in a same-sex relationship with my x for over 10 years 2012-2022/23. She got pregnant. we had the baby in 2019, the hospital wouldn't let me put my name on birth certificate bc they said we didn't use a donor, so the father had rights and we weren't married. they refused to put me on birth certificate. so as of now by law I'm nothing to him. and she goes back and forth not letting me see him. i fully supported both of them, was the only one working from before he was born until we broke up in 22/23. I do have my name on his christening paperwork from the church, I'm on all his medical and school paperwork as the parent, i have tax paperwork claimed as my kid, plus a ton of pictures from throughout the years, friends and family who can all support that. He calls me mom that's all he ever known me as. now as of now she won't let me see him. I need help getting rights and custody.

  Answered by 1 attorney