Legal guardianship gives someone other than the birth parents the legal right to make decisions for a child. It doesn’t terminate the rights of the parents. It simply transfers those rights and responsibilities to someone else for a period of time. It is the placement of custody in the hands of a caretaker. This process requires the approval of a judge.
In an emergency or transition period, we can help to establish your role in the life of a child as his or her temporary guardian. In cases where the welfare of the child might be best served through your permanent custody, we can help guide you toward permanent guardianship. Finally, if it is in the child’s and your family’s best interests, we may be able to aid you in pursuit of adoption. Schedule a call to discuss if a guardianship is right for your situation.
My daughter gave guardianship to others without the father knowing.said father was unknown but that isn’t so. Is this legal
Hi Geraldine, That is a good question, if she said he was unknown, but she knew who he was, then that is perjury and definitely illegal. However, the question as to whether he has rights as a father has more to do with whether or not he has been involved in the child’s life or has supported the child in some way. It gets a little complicated. Give me a call at 479-225-9725 and we can talk about it and the best way to protect your grandchild. Thanks! Justin
We have permanent guardianship of a young lady age of seven. We live in the state of Arkansas, can we adopt this little girl, both parents have given up the rights to her.
Hi Marvin, Absolutely (probably). Sorry, lawyers give annoying answers sometimes. If the biological parents will consent to the adoption, and you pass a home study, then yes, you can adopt her. However, the consents that the biological parents need to sign are really specific, so a note or letter they have given you in the past asserting their desire to give up their rights, probably won’t suffice. Also, the homestudy isn’t usually a problem, as long as you don’t have felony convictions or child maltreatment reports in your history. In any case, these are the kinds of things we help people with all the time. You can call me at 479-225-9725 and I am happy to explain further. Thanks! Justin