Custody

What is the name of your state? NORTH CAROLINA

Okay I am back with another question. My girlfriend and I have made a decision that was very hard to come by. We have come to the decision that we didn't want our child to live in the household of her parents with all the bickering and smoking and everything else that goes in there. We have decided that it was in the best interest since my girlfriend (if she kept the child with her for the year that she would have to till we were able to get married and be on our own) would need babysitters, money, and alot of other things that this was probably the best decision. I am 22 and she is 16 as some of you probably already know. We have gone through alot already. The parents at the emancipation seemed to want to work things out but just in case I need to find out my options. If my girlfriend agrees to let me have the baby till she is 18 in Sep of 2003 and we are able to get married can her parents contest to me having the child legally? Thanks alot for any help you can give. If you need any more information me and my situation there is two more threads out there already telling all. Okay thanks!

[usmcfamily]

Tell her parents, in the words of Glenda the Good Witch, "you have no power here, now be gone before someone drops a house on YOU" (sorry - been watching too much Wizard of Oz.....lol)**************
Seriously though -- they have NO, ZERO, NADA and ZIP say in what you and your gf choose to do with YOUR child -- they are only the grandparents and right now they don't have too much in the way of rights in this country's court system.
All you and the gf need to do is for you to file a petition for joint legal custody of the child with you being the residential (aka physical) custodial parent. The reason for the joint legal is that that way you are both guaranteed a legal say to what happens in this child's life (if for some unforseen reason the two of you don't work out it protects your gf's parental rights). Since your gf is amicable to this arrangement you don't even need a lawyer -- simply pick up the papers for custody at the county clerks office, fill in the blanks, pay your filing fee and presto-chango you are the proud custodial parent of your child.....and your future in-laws can blow it out their nose.. ! If you are uncomfortable completing the papers yourself you can always pay a small fee and have them prepared by one of the many legal preparation services (let your fingers do the walking in your yellow pages under legal documents) -- it is WAY cheaper than an attorney because essentially they take what you want the papers to say and put it in "legalese" so that they are court ready --from there you pay the filing fee and proceed as detailed above.....

Thanks alot for your help usmcfamily you have been a great help.