Stepparent custody rights
We live in a world where everyday at least 1,000 new stepfamilies are formed; unfortunately only about half of these marriages will last. The rate of divorce among second marriages is higher than that for first marriages. With that in mind, a stepfamily may be together for many years and the bond between stepparent and stepchild may be a strong one. So if you are a stepparent what are your rights, do you have any?
In most states, the biological parents are usually favored for custody of a minor child. Sometimes if the biological parents are unfit a stepparent can be awarded custody of the child. In less extreme cases, visitation time may be awarded if there is a strong bond between the stepparent and child or if stepsiblings are involved. However, if you are interested in pursuing custody of a stepchild, you should contact a family law attorney who is familiar with the laws of your state. If you need help finding an attorney you should contact your local bar association.
The OurFamilyWizard website can be great tool for keeping stepfamilies and blended families working from the same page. Shared information and schedules can greatly reduce the amount of confusion and mistakes made. Third party accounts can be provided to step parents giving them access to what is going on without interrupting the relationship between co-parents and children. The access is limited, but tremendously helpful.
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