<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Raven238:
My husband and I just recently moved to Illinois. His children, my step-children live in Louisiana with their mother. The youngest child who is twelve years old has wanted to live with us even before we moved from Louisiana. They have joint custody but she is the "domicile parent". Can she chose where she wants to live?
~ Why does she/he want to live with you? If there is any abuse/neglect, then your husband has a chance to try to obtain custody. The mother would still have visitation rights, even if he did obtain custody. What about the older child?
Courts are hesitant to seperate siblings. Even in the foster care system, as of late, they place siblings together.
If we get involved in a court battle, do I have any rights as a step-mother?
~No...you have no rights as a stepmother. Unless the bio-mother wanted to relinquish her parental rights, in order for you to adopt (hence, making you the legal parent), then you won't ever have rights to anything with the child. If your husband obtained custody, you may be granted permission by him, to sign for school, to obtain student information for his children, obtain medical treatment, etc. Still you'd have no legal rights, as he can take those privileges away, should things not work out between you and him.
I love these children with all of my heart. I have been a "mother" to them, cared for them when they were sick, helped with homework, went to school functions, and been there for them whenever they needed me. Should'nt I have some rights?
~ All you do or have done for them is simply out of the kindness of your heart. It doesn't give you any legal standing in court.
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