Looking for some advice from a family lawyer or I guess anyone with knowledge.....
Currently my wife and I have a blended family with six children, three of them are my step children. We (She) has full custody of them, with 100% overnights in their divorce document. Their biological father is involved very little. He is very inconsistent with his time with them and doesn't show up to very many activities of theirs if at all.
They have just begun to spend every other weekend with him, which consists of Friday night, all Saturday and then they are usually back on Sunday at our house for dinner. We are the ones that have pushed for this because we want them to have a relationship with him. This while consistent recently is even hit or miss since he doesn't live in the same place for very often.
My question is in regards to me going about the process of becoming a legal guardian to them. Adoption is not something needed in this instance otherwise I absolutely would. How does this work and what kind of circumstance would you need to be in? What is required in this situation?
I'm asking because they are basically with us all the time and who knows what could come up and legally there is nothing I could do in an emergency situation. This summer for instance, my son (I call him that but legally my step-son) broke his leg at soccer training with the high school team. I was home when we got the call and I rushed up to the field and drove him to the hospital. My wife was luckily a half hour away with our daughter at another soccer training and met us there. In that instance if she wasn't close, he would've had to wait for her to get there to approve anything because I'm legally not a guardian even though I am their step-parent. We spent the entire day at the hospital and well into the night while he had surgery. His father never even came to the hospital to visit.
Any insight into becoming a guardian and how to go about it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!
GO BLUE!!
Currently my wife and I have a blended family with six children, three of them are my step children. We (She) has full custody of them, with 100% overnights in their divorce document. Their biological father is involved very little. He is very inconsistent with his time with them and doesn't show up to very many activities of theirs if at all.
They have just begun to spend every other weekend with him, which consists of Friday night, all Saturday and then they are usually back on Sunday at our house for dinner. We are the ones that have pushed for this because we want them to have a relationship with him. This while consistent recently is even hit or miss since he doesn't live in the same place for very often.
My question is in regards to me going about the process of becoming a legal guardian to them. Adoption is not something needed in this instance otherwise I absolutely would. How does this work and what kind of circumstance would you need to be in? What is required in this situation?
I'm asking because they are basically with us all the time and who knows what could come up and legally there is nothing I could do in an emergency situation. This summer for instance, my son (I call him that but legally my step-son) broke his leg at soccer training with the high school team. I was home when we got the call and I rushed up to the field and drove him to the hospital. My wife was luckily a half hour away with our daughter at another soccer training and met us there. In that instance if she wasn't close, he would've had to wait for her to get there to approve anything because I'm legally not a guardian even though I am their step-parent. We spent the entire day at the hospital and well into the night while he had surgery. His father never even came to the hospital to visit.
Any insight into becoming a guardian and how to go about it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!
GO BLUE!!
