On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Thursday, August 2, 2018.
Missouri parents and grandparents may be familiar with unique custody arrangements. Sometimes, if a parent is not able to care for a child for a number of reasons, the grandparents can file for child custody. Grandparents may be able to provide children with a safe and happy home while a parent cannot do so.
Recently, the biological mother of a Missouri child took him from his grandparents home. She is not the custodial parent, and the grandparents have legal custody of the boy. The grandparents immediately contacted police. They are deeply concerned that the child may be in harm’s way.
The police are frantically searching for the child, because it was reported that the mother may have serious mental health issues, and the court had already decided she was not capable of caring for the child. Child custody orders are legally binding, and a parent cannot take it upon him or herself to change the terms. In this case, the grandparents have the law on their side. Law enforcement is seeking kidnapping charges against the mother for taking the child away from his home.
If parents or grandparents feel that a child custody issue needs attention, they have several options. One way to establish or modify a child custody order is to seek the assistance of an experienced family law attorney. An attorney can help concerned parents or grandparents present their case in a court of law. Once an order is put into place, anyone who violates it may be subject to contempt of court proceedings and/or criminal charges.
