My fiance wants to fight for custody of his 3 year old child. Where do we start?

The childs mother had tried to kill herself repeatedly and is taking lithium currently for her Bi-polar disorder. My fiance thinks she is dangerous to herself and others. They currently share custody, but he wants his son to come and live with us. We dont have the money to hire a lawyer, but we need advice on who to talk to. Is there a way to fight for custody without paying phenominal costs. We really want to take care of this right away. Help please!

Contact Child Protective Services and hopefully he will be able to provide dates and places the child's mother has been taken for her disorder to prove she would not be the best parent to have the child with.

An even stronger case would be that you and your fiance tie the knot and legally get married then show you could provide a more stable home.

Poor lady. You criticize her for taking the lithium, but it is probably the thing that keeps her stabilized. I pray that he will see the wisdom of helping her help herself rather than just yanking everything out of her life.

If you don't have money for a lawyer, do you have the money to take care of a child? You don't say what state you are in, so it is difficult to point you in a direction. You can open a case with the attorney general in Texas without an attorney.

Sorry, but without an attorney, you won't get anywhere. She is on prescription drugs to treat a medical problem, and this is quite legal. Unless she commits an act that shows she is a danger to the child, your pleas will fall on deaf ears. It is not that I disagree with you, but it is a fact.

There is nothing wrong with being bipolar or taking lithium. Millions of parents do.

You don't need a lawyer. Just file in family court.

Please do some reading on bipolar disease, your are uniformed.

you need to get a lawyer. If you can't afford it, then you really don't want custody. If you do, then you'd figure out a way.

Contact a social worker or the Juvenille and Domestic Relations Court. They should be able to guide you in the right direction.

I suffer from bi polar disorder and I won my case when I filed for Sole custody so it all depends on other factors such as how much involvement has the dad had in the childs life and if ya'll can support a child --if you cant afford an attorney then you dont want custody too badly-- i had to hire an attorney and still paying him to this day!!!!! Millions of parents right now are popping pill for BP but that is what helps them be better parents. And I have a comment on one of the answers given below.

"An even stronger case would be that you and your fiance tie the knot and legally get married then show you could provide a more stable home."

Marriage between the two does not automatically create a stable home --my ex got married and thought he could tell the judge that and the court would grant him custody!! but in open court the judge said " a piece of paper and a ring dont make you stable" and the judge awarded me custody when her dad was living in a 3 br house and i was in a one room apt. the judge said you can live in a mansion and still not be best for that child but you can live in a shack and that child be the happiest and the most loved child in the world!!!!


Ya'll want custody go ahead fight for it--try to find a pro bono lawyer--but just remember do it for the interest of the baby not you

And one more question to consider........If you fiance wants custody and his son to live with him then why are you the one asking...you will ba a part of the boys life but i think your fiance should handle this and you just support his efforts because that is another reason the judge awarded me sole custody because my ex's new wife could not keep her mouth shut in court......just support his efforts and it will work out !!!!!