How do I get guardianship of my granddaughter who lives with me? 18 Answers as of October 28, 2011

File a petition but be careful, you will need a lawyer due to new Grandparent Access rules.

File a petition with the local family court for custody.

File a Guardianship case with the Probate Court.

Sounds like your granddaughter is very lucky to have you in her life. You need to go to Court and get custody of that child. I can help you with this. Give me a call, make an appointment to come see me, and let's get moving on this for you. No charge for the telephone call and no charge for the first office visit.

It must be heartbreaking for you. You need to petition the Courts for a guardianship appointment. There is no easy way of doing it. If ther is any abuse of the child going on in that family, social services may get involved and support your efforts at guardianship.

Where is the Father? Hire a lawyer to file for Standing, Confirmation of Custody, etc.

How you proceed will depend on what type of arrangement you are seeking. Your options are: - File for guardianship in the Probate court; - File for temporary guardianship, pursuant to a claim of deprivation, in the Juvenile court; or - File for adoption in the Superior court. Adoption would permanently terminate the parents' rights, and would result in you becoming your grandchild's permanent legal custodian. Guardianship does not alter the parents' rights, and would result in you having either temporary or permanent guardianship over your grandchild. A deprivation action would place the mother (and possibly the father) under a "corrective action plan" regarding her failures with caring for her child, and would result in you having temporary physical custody. You should consider speaking directly with an attorney regarding your options.

Guardianship is granted in uncontested cases, where both parents agree to let someone else be their child's guardian. You can file a contested petition for custody; you need to consult with an attorney about your specific situation and the viability of a potential custody case and the options available to you, given the fact and circumstances in your particular situation.

You need to file a request for guardianship at your local courthouse. There are several "grandparents parenting again" groups across the state, these groups often offer assistance to grandparents with guardianship paperwork.

You need to file a petition for guardianship. This motion will require service on both the mother and father.