Question by Arielle: How would I go about getting custody of my 11 year old cousin?
My cousin is 11 years old, and about 5 years ago her mom (My aunt) died. She lives at her grandparents 2 bedroom home with her dad, her grandma, her grandpa, her brother, her brothers girlfriend, their three kids, and her cousin. Her dad is addicted to narcotics, and I believe meth. Her grandma is selling percocets. Her grandpa is a alcoholic. Her brother is addicted to meth and narcotics along with his girlfriend. And her cousin is addicted to heroin. Her dad gets 600 dollars a month for spousal support and she gets 600 dollars for herself. All of which goes towards her dads drug addiction. I am her deceased mothers biological niece and when school ends in June, I am going to try and get custody of her. I have two children of my own, stable income, by that time I’m hoping we will be granted a loan to buy a house, but have room for her right where we are if need be. I know for a fact, that if it came down to court I would not have a problem getting custody of her given the living conditions she has now. The house itself is a mess and at one point when my step dad went over there, (his parents house, he is my cousins dads brother) he found powdered cleaner used to make meth, so we assume they were making it in the basement. She has also been writing to boys and cursing and talking about sexual things her friend said or something and she is just headed down the wrong path and I feel that I have to save her. Her mother took very very good care of her, and now her life has gone to sh*t. She gets no type of counseling to deal with her mothers death, nothing. Anyways, my goal is to try and talk some sense into her father and try and get him to see that she would be much better off living with me. If he was any type of father, I feel that he would jump at the chance of giving his daughter a life that he cannot provide for her. But when he realizes that he will not get that 600 dollars a month for his drug addiction, I think that’s where the problems will start. So, if he does fight me how do I go about getting custody of her? Do I contact children services? I read that unless the parents agree to the custody agreement, that you have to prove abuse or neglect, which is obviously there. So is that the route I want to take? Or should I contact a Lawyer? I live in Ohio by the way. Thank you to anyone who responds.    Read more...

Question by Noontime show: What are the three most common among the 10 grounds of legal separation in the Philippines?
Article 55 of the 1988 Family Code
* Repeated physical violence or grossly abusive conduct directed against the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner;
* Physical violence or moral pressure to compel the petitioner to change religious or political affiliation;
* Attempt of respondent to corrupt or induce the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner, to engage in prostitution, or connivance in such corruption or inducement;
* Final judgment sentencing the respondent to imprisonment of more than six years, even if pardoned;
* Drug addiction or habitual alcoholism of the respondent;
* Lesbianism or homosexuality of the respondent;
* Contracting by the respondent of a subsequent bigamous marriage, whether in the Philippines or abroad;
* Sexual infidelity or perversion;
* Attempt by the respondent against the life of the petitioner; or
* Abandonment by respondent without justifiable cause for more than a year
The aforementioned grounds are from 1988 Family Code of the Philippines/Executive order no. 209, Title II.    Read more...