Mother-in-law threatening to sue for grandparent rights in Ohio

[single317dad]

Singled317dad, this isn't someone's dismissive opinion of a legal PARENT.

The term "BM" to describe the "birth mother" of OP's stepchild is what I was referring to, and I stand by my assessment of that comment.

 

[LdiJ]

The term "BM" to describe the "birth mother" of OP's stepchild is what I was referring to, and I stand by my assessment of that comment.

Ok, I don't disagree with that, but if I misunderstood the context of your remark someone else might as well.

 

[Just Blue]

Ok, I don't disagree with that, but if I misunderstood the context of your remark someone else might as well.

Doubtful as singledad comment was very clear.

 

[dannyt]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Ohio

My husband and I have 2 boys together(ages 6 & 4), he has a daughter from a previous relationship (age 7, and we have regular visitation/shared parenting with BM) and we recently became the legal guardians to our niece and nephew (his sister's children, ages 7 & 6). The only person who has "visitation rights" with the latter two of the children is the father/stepfather of our niece and nephew.

Recently, my mother-in-law has been making threats to take my husband and I to court to implement grand parenting rights with ALL of the children. We have cut off all ties to communication to my mother-in-law which includes blocking any phone/text attempts and some social media. The reasoning behind this is that the MIL is unstable, unemployed, and verbally abusive to my husband and I. She never finished high school, attained or even attempted to get her GED, and has never held a job for more than 6 months at a time. I don't believe she has ever had a place of her own as she has always stayed on the couch or bed of some guy friend or another. She is an alcoholic drug user to boot. I'm not saying these things to be mean. They are all true and substantiated. She has been to jail many times since I've been married to my husband. Oh, and to top it off, she literally kidnapped my husband when he was 13 and tried to smuggle him into Canada (she did not have custody of him). Again, this is all fact. It was on the news and everything. Even my lawyer knows about her kidnapping.

My husband and I used to let my MIL see our children (our two boys). In fact, she would help watch them for us while we both worked. I know that may not have been the best idea given her past, but we wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and give her a second chance since she seemed cleaned up. After a few weeks she reverted back to her old ways. We had some alcohol in a cabinet, which we never drink, and the bottles were mysteriously becoming empty. She even ADMITTED to drinking some of my husband's beer while watching my children! After this we basically told her she was never allowed to watch our children or even be around them alone anymore.

After this she would constantly call and text both of our phones, leaving drunken and rambling phone messages about how we better let her see her grandbabies. Things got worse once we got my husband's sister's kids. MIL demanded that we allow her to see those two explicitly as she basically raised them. This is not true given that it would have been impossible since the children were in North Dakota during most of this time. Even the kid's mom denied her visitation with them when she was in Ohio. So, to battle constant harassing phone calls and texts, we blocked her. Unfortunately, she still has my good friend's number and constantly sends messages to her for her to forward to us. This is how I know about her threat to take us to court.

Normally, I wouldn't worry. The only thing that makes me hesitate is that she says she has her record expunged and that her past can no longer be held against her. She also seems to have money at her disposal now since she is now living with a man who has some. I'm not an attorney, so I don't know whether I should be worried or hope she's just making empty threats. Also, after taking on an extra two kids and racking up an outrageous attorney bill to get my niece and nephew in the first place, we do not have the funds to hire our attorney for this matter.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

im sorry only your husband has shared parenting of the kids with their mother-you are no one legally to these children. and she is not bm she is mom-the only mom these children have. please be careful things like that can cause problems if a judge thinks youre getting too involved or trying to take mom's place, he can order that you not be pressentn the boys come to visit

 

[jonesmr0208]

im sorry only your husband has shared parenting of the kids with their mother-you are no one legally to these children. and she is not bm she is mom-the only mom these children have. please be careful things like that can cause problems if a judge thinks youre getting too involved or trying to take mom's place, he can order that you not be pressentn the boys come to visit

I don't really understand where you got that, I the birth mother to my two boys, am legally no one to those children. I am sooooooo sorry that I used BM to describe my husband's ex. It was not done with the intent of disrespecting her. Color me chastised. I would like to clarify that I have never stepped over the boundaries of being a step-mother to my step-daughter. I only mentioned her because she is my husband's daughter and it is his mother that was doing the threatening. Therefore, she is my step-daughter's paternal grandmother. I would also like to put out there, for selfish reasons, that I am also my step-daughter's mom in her eyes. She calls me mommy since she was a baby (her choice, which I corrected many times but finally gave up after two years. She calls her step-father daddy, too) and I love her as one of my own. I even call her my daughter because that is what she is to me. I'm sorry I don't put a "step" brand on our relationship. It pains me that so many people bash step parents on here. I feel as though I do OK at being a step-parent without meddling in biological parent affairs.