 Where can I find filed adoption papers?
What is the name of your state? TN
This is all rather complicated, but I will keep it as short as possible.
My mother has custody of my brother's daughter and son. She is emotionally imbalanced and abusive, and she always has been. The biolgical mother handed the kids over, and by the time my brother knew anything about it(2 weeks later), our mother had filed papers for custody of the kids claiming my brother had "abandoned them". This was all 10-11 years ago. We went to court on 4 different occasions to fight her and it just did no good. No one believed us when we descibed the conditions we grew up in. I could not believe they would give a psycho grandmother legal preference over a father who was willing and capable of caring for his own children!She finally broke my brother, to the point that he had to file bankruptcy twice from fighting her in court. After she had him thrown in jail for the 12th time for being hours late with child support, he finally signed over his rights. He just couldn't fight her anymore.
My question is this, how do I find out if she ever filed legal adoption papers on the kids? My niece turned 18 last week, but still does not want to leave even though she desperately wants out. She is afraid to leave her brother there alone, and he does not turn 18 for another 16 months. She says that he is very near the breaking point mentally. My mother is very hard on him. Is there any way to get him out of this situation? Do we have any options open to us? He is 16 and I know in some states you can choose where you want to live at that age. Would that still be true in these circumstances? Can the Children's Services Dept. help us?
I know this is terribly long, but I am desperate to find a way to get these kids out of her control. | 
03-08-2004, 04:11 AM
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