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Suicide attempt

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modad33

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Missouri

My sons mother attempted suicide recently and i just found out. She was told she is not mentally stable to work for atleast 3 months. If she cant work what makes her mentally stable to care for a 3 year old. Is there any way i can get temporary custody of him? we have a court date in march. there is no custody arrangement right now.
 


Proserpina

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Missouri

My sons mother attempted suicide recently and i just found out. She was told she is not mentally stable to work for atleast 3 months. If she cant work what makes her mentally stable to care for a 3 year old. Is there any way i can get temporary custody of him? we have a court date in march. there is no custody arrangement right now.


Are you established as Dad?

Was the child present?

What is her current status?

(For what its worth a person can be deemed unable to work, but perfectly able to take care of a child...just letting you know).
 

modad33

Junior Member
yes i am his father. It happened weeks ago but i just found out. He was in my custody when it happened. She was put in to a physco hospital but im not sure how long. she has to see a physiatrist. which is who told her she was to mentally unstable to work. if she is doing this to herself i dont know what she would do to our child. she did it by pills. so there are pills somewhere around her she is taking. and she has even more now. my child is 3 and could get them. i just need to know if i can get tempory custody
 

Proserpina

Senior Member
yes i am his father. It happened weeks ago but i just found out. He was in my custody when it happened. She was put in to a physco hospital but im not sure how long. she has to see a physiatrist. which is who told her she was to mentally unstable to work. if she is doing this to herself i dont know what she would do to our child. she did it by pills. so there are pills somewhere around her she is taking. and she has even more now. my child is 3 and could get them. i just need to know if i can get tempory custody



You can try, but nobody here can guess whether or not you'll be successful.

The fact that your son was with you at the time doesn't help you. You'll need to show that your son is actually at risk.
 

majomom1

Senior Member
yes i am his father. It happened weeks ago but i just found out. He was in my custody when it happened. She was put in to a physco hospital but im not sure how long. she has to see a physiatrist. which is who told her she was to mentally unstable to work. if she is doing this to herself i dont know what she would do to our child. she did it by pills. so there are pills somewhere around her she is taking. and she has even more now. my child is 3 and could get them. i just need to know if i can get tempory custody
How many weeks ago? And how long was she in the hospital.

The child was with you when she attempted... so how is it that you just found out?
 

Monte86

Member
yes i am his father. It happened weeks ago but i just found out. He was in my custody when it happened. She was put in to a physco hospital but im not sure how long. she has to see a physiatrist. which is who told her she was to mentally unstable to work. if she is doing this to herself i dont know what she would do to our child. she did it by pills. so there are pills somewhere around her she is taking. and she has even more now. my child is 3 and could get them. i just need to know if i can get tempory custody
I think what she was asking is are you "established" as dad? On the Birth Certificate, that kind of thing. You mentioned having a court date.
As someone who has had family members try to kill themselves just because they do that doesn't mean they would try and harm their child.
I know this seems far-fetched but it does show some concern for the child in the fact that she did it while he was in your custody, not with her.
 

modad33

Junior Member
She never told me. Her father contacted my mother finally in the fear of losing his daughter. I have no idea legally who to contact. they didnt tell me the exact date or any details. just that she did it the week or november 20th. somewhere around then.
 

modad33

Junior Member
Shes mentally unstable as her physiatrist said. so i dont know what she is capable of. IF she would hurt him or not. but there is a risk.
 

gr8rn

Senior Member
She was put in to a physco hospital

Really? a physco hospital? nice.

People on pills take care of their kids every day. Even physco meds. and they are perfectly capable of keeping their physco meds away from their 3 year olds.
 

Proserpina

Senior Member
Shes mentally unstable as her physiatrist said. so i dont know what she is capable of. IF she would hurt him or not. but there is a risk.


Who told you what the psychiatrist said?

What was the diagnosis?

IS there actually a diagnosis?

She's now being treated, correct? She's seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist, yes?

How come nobody - if they were SO concerned - involved child protective services at the time?
 

modad33

Junior Member
the drug overdosed was not perscribed to her. i dont know what else she has there she shouldnt. Who do i contact about temporary custody
 

Proserpina

Senior Member
the drug overdosed was not perscribed to her. i dont know what else she has there she shouldnt. Who do i contact about temporary custody


Here's the thing. Kiddo is with Mom, correct?

And since Nov 20 nothing has happened? Child is safe?

Hence you cannot prove that the child is in danger.
 

modad33

Junior Member
her father contacted my mother about it and said what the physiatrist said. i only have limited details. She lives with her father i have no idea why he didnt. Is that who i contact now is child services?
 

CJane

Senior Member
The fact that Mom is under the care of a psychiatrist and is now medicated actually helps her. So does the fact that all of this happened when the child was with you. The fact that there are medications in the home that may be harmful to a child is not relevant. Plenty of things in everyone's home are potentially dangerous.

You could certainly TRY to get temporary custody, but I honestly think it's highly unlikely given the information that you've provided. You'd really have to prove the potential for direct and fairly immediate harm to the child -- and since there was no harm to the child PRIOR to this incident, and none SINCE the incident (and it's been almost a month), you likely can't show that.

Also, if her psychiatrist felt that she was a danger to the child, HE/SHE would need to involve the Department of Social Services and apparently has not.
 

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