Summer Masterson-Goethals
Summer Masterson-Goethals
Consumer and family lawyer, former legal aid attorney and Missouri Bar Leadership Academy member, Springfield Business Journal 40 under 40 Honoree.
- Child abuse and child neglect: The court would also grant emergency custody where the welfare and best interests of the child are being threatened. This could include high-risk situations such as where the child is being sexually abused or forced to live in an unsafe or unsanitary environment due to the inappropriate lifestyle of the parents.
In such cases, the kids or minor child is vulnerable and may be in immediate physical and emotional danger. Such conditions are toxic and can hinder the growth and development of the child and possibly threaten their well-being later in life.
In such situations, it might fall to the elders in the family to protect the innocent children and provide them with a healthy environment to thrive. Missouri law recognizes this fact, and if a court finds that both parents of a child are unfit or unsuitable as parents or unable to assume custody for any reason, the court may award custody, temporary or otherwise, to a relative of the child, and this includes grandparents.
So, as a grandparent, you do not have to stand by and watch your grandkids be abused or mistreated. The law allows for grandparent custody, and you can intervene where the parents are unfit or abusive. You can obtain temporary or full custody over the adoptive or biological parents, as well as grandparent visitation rights if need be.
CONTACT SUMMER
Consumer and family lawyer, former legal aid attorney and Missouri Bar Leadership Academy member, Springfield Business Journal 40 under 40 Honoree. Site Map.
Masterson Law
3030 E. Battlefield, Suite A
Springfield, MO 65804
(417) 522-1280
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