I just posted this in a legal forum and I want to hear what you think.... What is the name of your state? Virginia In a child custody hearing does the child in question need to be present? My friend is a dual citizen of both England and the US. He is 17 years old and will be 18 in April. His mother lives in the UK and has been his guardian for 16 years. He lived with his father in the US(VA) for around 6 months. During that time he was constantly verbally abused and occasionally physically abused. He never reported the abuse out of fear of retribution. The abuse came to a head last February. His dad hit him and broke a remote over his head. He called his mother and she had him come back to England. Now he is back in the states. He couldn't find work in the UK whereas there is plenty here. The day after he arrived his dad reported him as a missing person. He went to the police, and there was abuse charges on the computer along with the fact that his mother had partial custody of him and my friend was released. Now his father is fighting for full custody. He can't afford an attorney. He has a steady job and a place to stay(with me). My parents are monitoring him and in return he pays some rent and helps out around the house. He is clean and has completed his compulsory education in england and is looking into getting a GED in the US. So my question is, How does he go about opposing his father?. His mom will help him and write letters to the court but she can't actually come to the trial. His dad has claimed he has physical custody of him at the moment(which he certainly doesn't) and some local police officers know that he lied about that. I just need an idea of what to do? Thanks in advance for all replies...
heh can file to be emancipated, basically legally declared as an adult and not abel to be controlled by his parents. youll have to look up som cheap or free lawyers to help out i believe, but its probably the best option
Do You Have Legal Aid In The States At All? If You Do Have Something Similar For People On Welfair It Might Be Worth Lookin In To It.. Peace
