Child custody can take on many shapes and forms in Texas and across the country. Sometimes, cases involve circumstances beyond just a mother and father engaged in a dispute over custody. There are instances in which other family members are involved in the custody proceeding. In some cases, the family law issues will extend to a person with custody or joint custody absconding with the child leading to the possibility of criminal issues arising. Any situation with family law concerns requires legal assistance to handle the situation.
Recently, an 8-year-old girl who had been missing since August of 2015 was found in the custody of her birth mother in Virginia. There had been a joint custody agreement between the maternal grandmother and the paternal grandmother before the mother took the child and left the state. The mother, age 28, had violated her probation for a charge of aggravated robbery, for which she had been jailed. The maternal grandmother stated that she did not believe that her daughter would take the granddaughter and leave because she had no job, no money and no mode of transportation.
Prior to the disappearance, the custody of the child was shared among the grandmothers and the biological parents. Because of that, there was a delay in declaring the child missing. According to law enforcement, the mother had been using aliases to avoid detection. The mother was arrested and told law enforcement that the child was staying with a friend. The process of bringing the child to Texas is underway as is the extradition of the mother.
When there is a child custody dispute, grandparents’ rights might be at the center of it. In this situation, the birth mother of a child was facing legal problems due to criminal activity unrelated to the child custody situation and took flight with the child. When there is a disagreement over custody, grandparents’ rights and other aspects of family law, speaking to an attorney about how to proceed can help the parties achieve a satisfactory resolution.
Source: kxan.com, “Missing Horseshoe Bay girl found in Virginia,” Clair Ricke and Chris Sadeghi, Jan. 8, 2016