questions & answers

Question: My Gandson's mother took off when he was 3 weeks old, he resides with my son since we brought him home from the hospital.. My question is do how do I go about getting gardianship of him when my son goes into the Airforce in Feb, my son is willing to sign custody over to myself does the mother still have the right to take him since she does not come around to see my now 5 month old grandson?

Answer:

The following is provided as general information. To find out how laws apply to a specific situation, contact an attorney directly.

Arizona Revised Statute, A.R.S. § 8-533 states that any person including a relative may file a petition for termination of the parent-child relationship for reason of abandonment. For more information on termination of parental rights you may want to look at A.R.S. § 8-532 through A.R.S § 8-539.  A.R.S. § 8-871 and § 8-872 give  the laws on whom and how a person can obtain guardianship. Guardianship and termination of parental rights are both complicated. You may want to consult an attorney to see how the law applies to a specific situation.