What is the name of your state? Louisiana
I'm not sure the right way to go about getting custody of my niece. My sister has a 2 1/2 year old daughter. My sister is 21 and is very irresponsible and self-absorbed. She works in a bar at night from Wed. through Sun. night and sleeps all day everyday, while my niece watches TV and eats dry cereal or whatever else she can find. And if my niece tries to wake her up, then my sister yells at her and tells her to go to sleep and not make any noise; and, my niece does it out of fear. A few weeks ago, my niece was sick and my sister wouldn't even take my niece to the doctor because she said she was too depressed to get up and take her and she couldn't afford it. She had a medical card, but my sister was too lazy to go for the renewal interview and it lapsed. My mom took off of work early and bathed, dressed, and picked my niece up and brought her to the doctor. My sister didn't even call to check on her. I offered to take my niece and raise her full time until my sister could get her life together, but my sister refused to sign temporary custody over to me. So, I enrolled my niece in daycare and my mom, dad, and I told my sister that my niece had to go and my dad is paying for it. I made an agreement with my sister that I would pick my niece up from daycare on Wed. evening and keep her until Sun. evening, since she worked those nights and my sister was to pick my niece up by 5 pm on Sun. and bring her and pick her up from daycare on Mon., Tues., and Wed. (drop-off only). My sister has yet to follow the agreement. She never calls to check on her child or see how she's doing and this past Sun. she never even showed up to pick my niece up. I made several attempts to contact her and left several messages for her and she has yet to get in touch with me. I don't know where to go from here? Another problem in this situation is the father. The father's name is listed on the birth certificate and my niece does carry his last name even though he does not support her in any way and does not see her except every once in a blue moon when my sister drops in to see him. He is a very low character and has even been incarcerated and is on probation. He has several children out there that he does not support or see and the mother of his son won't even let him see his son because (though not on record) he has a history of hitting his son and beating his son in the head. One of my biggest fears is that if I push my sister too hard and play hard ball with her, that the father will step in and try to take my niece; and, that would do my niece more harm than good. If anything happened to my niece, I could never forgive myself. I don't know where to go from here. I don't have enough money for hefty legal fees, but something needs to be done. I want to raise my niece with my daughter and my husband, but my sister won't give me custody. What do I do? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I'm not sure the right way to go about getting custody of my niece. My sister has a 2 1/2 year old daughter. My sister is 21 and is very irresponsible and self-absorbed. She works in a bar at night from Wed. through Sun. night and sleeps all day everyday, while my niece watches TV and eats dry cereal or whatever else she can find. And if my niece tries to wake her up, then my sister yells at her and tells her to go to sleep and not make any noise; and, my niece does it out of fear. A few weeks ago, my niece was sick and my sister wouldn't even take my niece to the doctor because she said she was too depressed to get up and take her and she couldn't afford it. She had a medical card, but my sister was too lazy to go for the renewal interview and it lapsed. My mom took off of work early and bathed, dressed, and picked my niece up and brought her to the doctor. My sister didn't even call to check on her. I offered to take my niece and raise her full time until my sister could get her life together, but my sister refused to sign temporary custody over to me. So, I enrolled my niece in daycare and my mom, dad, and I told my sister that my niece had to go and my dad is paying for it. I made an agreement with my sister that I would pick my niece up from daycare on Wed. evening and keep her until Sun. evening, since she worked those nights and my sister was to pick my niece up by 5 pm on Sun. and bring her and pick her up from daycare on Mon., Tues., and Wed. (drop-off only). My sister has yet to follow the agreement. She never calls to check on her child or see how she's doing and this past Sun. she never even showed up to pick my niece up. I made several attempts to contact her and left several messages for her and she has yet to get in touch with me. I don't know where to go from here? Another problem in this situation is the father. The father's name is listed on the birth certificate and my niece does carry his last name even though he does not support her in any way and does not see her except every once in a blue moon when my sister drops in to see him. He is a very low character and has even been incarcerated and is on probation. He has several children out there that he does not support or see and the mother of his son won't even let him see his son because (though not on record) he has a history of hitting his son and beating his son in the head. One of my biggest fears is that if I push my sister too hard and play hard ball with her, that the father will step in and try to take my niece; and, that would do my niece more harm than good. If anything happened to my niece, I could never forgive myself. I don't know where to go from here. I don't have enough money for hefty legal fees, but something needs to be done. I want to raise my niece with my daughter and my husband, but my sister won't give me custody. What do I do? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.