The reasons for taking a custody battle to an Ohio court are numerous. Parents get divorced and they fight over the child custody arrangements. The parents die and other relatives fight amongst themselves over who will gain guardianship. There may even be a child custody battle in a foster situation. One set of grandparents is questioning the placement of their 4-year-old grandson after his mother was murdered, allegedly by the boy’s father.
The boy has been living with his father’s parents since the man called them just after his wife died. The father has since been charged with first-degree murder following a thorough investigation by police. The maternal grandparents have a problem with the boy being placed according to the father’s wishes after what police believe he did.
The state in which the boy and his parents reside has no law stating grandparents automatically get custody in similar cases. The father will maintain his parental rights, even if he is convicted, until they are terminated by the court. However, there has not been a case like this one where a parent who could make custody decisions took away the rights of the other parent to also make those decisions. Current court records surrounding the boy’s custodial placement have not yet been released.
No parent knows how much time he or she has left on this earth, so child custody preparation is vital. Included in each parent’s will should be the names of those who are to take care of the children upon the death of the parent. Such decisions may be difficult at the time but can save much heartache later. Family law attorneys in Ohio have the expertise to guide parents through the process of ensuring their child will be placed in accordance to their wishes.
