child guardianship

[dadi]

My brother and his girlfriend has a son who is 2. Since the child was 2 days old, I have had the child 90% of the time. I am the childs paternal aunt. They give me very little if any monitary support. I claim the child on my taxes. Every time I say something to them about giving me some kind of rights the mother blows up and threatens to take the child from me. To make a long question short, can I get legal guardianship without taking their custody from them? I can't do anything for the child, no doctor, no school. Thank you. Ky.

 

[lawrat]

I am a law school graduate. What I offer is mere information, not to be construed as forming an attorney client relationship.

I applaud your sense of family and boundaries. I know how hard it must be to take care of your brother's child and yet have to be just a guardian, when in reality, you are so much more!


You are right to get guardianship so this child can receive proper care in school and with doctors, if she gets sick/checkups/etc.


You can indeed get guardianship, although obviously they would need to sign some paperwork. Let me give you some information below:

http://www.mcnay.com/guardian.htm

http://www.attorneypages.com