How do I gain legal custody of my granddaughter? Daughter is unstable. Granddaughter lives with us full-time.
Asked in Lafayette, IN on December 11, 2025 Last answered on December 12, 2025My 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?
1 answer
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Free Consultation Depending on whether there is a paternity case filed with the Courts, you can either pursue third party custody or guardianship of your granddaughter. If there is a paternity case on file with the Courts, you would need to file to intervene into that matter to become her third party custodian. If there is not a paternity case, then you would file a guardianship case. In an effort to keep costs down, you may want to contact Indiana Legal Services or reach out to your local bar association to find a low-cost or pro bono attorney to assist you.
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