SPARC Forums

I am looking for some help.  My husband has a 13 year old son who has lived with his mom since they split up, they were not married and they have a court order for child support.
The child is 13 and has been giving mom problems.  Mom would like son to come and live with us, effective immediately, and we picked him and his belongings up last night.
She said she is willing to sign whatever we need.  My husband tried to enroll him in school this morning but could not because mom is his legal guardian.  Should we get her to sign over guardianship, then file a modification with the court for custody/child support?
Does anyone know where I could find the forms so we could do the custody change ourselves, without an attorney?
We are in Marion County Indiana and that is where the support/custody case is also.
Please help!!!

Does your local court have a website?  Often they will have access to forms there....if not, go down to the court house, tell them what you want to do, and ask for the forms needed to get started.  And if all else fails, call around for some initial consultations (most are free) with a family law atty.  Given that what you are needing is pretty cut-and-dried, they may give you a flat rate fee for the services needed.  And if BM throws a monkey wrench into the situation at any time, you will already have an atty. knowledgeable about the case already, which can be a huge benefit.

As for the guardianship, I would ask the school what they specifically need in regards to documentation to get the child enrolled.  And if the child has been having problems while with BM, it doesn't mean they will automatically go away when he lives with you....I highly recommend a pediatric psychologist to get started with an initial evaluation.  There may be some underlying problems that need to be addressed and it's always possible that a change in households could emphasize it, not diminish it.  Just be prepared for that.