Third-Party Custody Rights in Kansas City

Providing Knowledgeable and Compassionate Legal Guidance

Third-party custody refers to a person who is seeking custody rights of a minor child and is not the biological parent or adoptive parent of the child. Oftentimes, these individuals have a biological relationship to the child, such as an aunt, uncle, or grandparent. However, it might also be a stepparent. If you are seeking third-party custody rights, contact the team at Davis | Family Law in Kansas City for the skilled legal representation and guidance you need to get through this process. Our team has more than three decades of combined legal experience in family law and will use it to your advantage.

Contact Davis | Family Law today at (816) 407-8702 to get started on your third-party custody case and learn more about how we can help you.

Under What Circumstances Can I Obtain Third-Party Custody Rights?

In Missouri, third-party custody rights may be awarded under a few different circumstances.

To obtain third-party custody rights, you must meet one of the three following requirements:

• Each parent is either unsuitable, unfit, or unable to care for the child.
• It is in the child’s best interest and the welfare of the child demands it.
• You have been held out to be a parent or placed in a parent-like relationship with a child.

Under these circumstances, the court may award you the same rights parents have, including sole physical custody and sole legal custody, or joint legal and joint physical custody. Moreover, in the future, the third-party custody arrangement can be modified by either the third-party custodian or the parents. However, much like any other child custody modification, the person pursuing the modification must prove that there was a substantial change in circumstances and that altering the agreement will serve the best interests of the children.

Third-Party and Parental Custody

Family courts can award third-party custody in any position held by a parent. However, the court must add the person as a party to the custody case before awarding the individual with third-party custody rights. Therefore, any person who files a petition with the court to intervene in an ongoing custody dispute to pursue third-party custody. That said, such cases are difficult to pursue, so you must secure knowledgeable legal counsel before moving forward.

Schedule a Consultation with a Child Custody Attorney in Kansas City Today!

If you are pursuing third-party custody rights, it is important to understand that this process is complex, challenging, and requires the assistance of an attorney. At Davis | Family Law in Kansas City, our skilled child custody attorneys have the experience and insight you need to successfully pursue third-party custody rights. You can rely on our team to smoothly guide you through every step of the process.

Get started on your third-party custody case today and contact our law office at (816) 407-8702 to set up an initial case evaluation with a trusted member of our legal team.