My wife and I Met late December of '04. We hit it right off and started dating on a regular basis until June2' 06 where we decided at that time to get married.
We had a very happy blended family (her daughter and my 3 boys) and went on many little family excursions.
Until one fateful day of January31, 2007 my wife was killed in an auto accident. We were 3 days short of being married for 8 months.
The biological deadbeat father had shown up to the funeral to take my (his) daughter. His comments were" she will get over the death of her mom". How does a 9 year get over the shattering of her world?
The biological father refuses to allow anyone to visit with my (his) daughter. He moved at least 5 hours away.
In the state of Missouri, step fathers have no rights!
Now I and my family have lost a wife, mother, sister, and a daughter. Where is the fairness in this?
2007-03-19 00:20:00 · 8 answers · asked by weepingwillow 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
You're right it's not fair. Many step-fathers are more of a father than the sperm donor who helped bring her into this world.
The bottom line is though that he also has rights as her father. Is he morally and ethically right to remove her completely from the family she has known, no. That still won't change the legality of the issue, and unless he is unfit he has every right to have custody of her.
I am sure you would exercise your rights over your biological children if the roles were reversed.
I am sorry for your loss, and that it had to be compounded by the loss of your step-daughter as well, sadly this is just the ways of law.
2007-03-19 00:33:30 · answer #1 · answered by Susie D 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't have an answer to your question but I'd like to comment on it. I don't think it is a fair law. I think many step parents have earned the right to be a part of the children they have helped to raise lives. My husband and I have been married for almost 12 years. He has raised my first two daughters from ages 2 and 3. They are 15 and 16 now. If something was to happen to me, he has no legal rights to my girls. Their bio will be able to take custody of them. I am very sorry to hear about your loss. For both your wife and daughter. Try to be strong for your boys. They need you now more than ever.
2007-03-19 07:32:35 · answer #2 · answered by mechelle68 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My condolences on your loss. It is bad enough to cope with your grief towards your wife, but even more, to hit the reality of the stepdaughter. Sadly, the law does give the bio father control.
I wish I could tell you that life IS fair, as we were brought up to hope for. My dear friend just lost her husband (in his 50's) to a massive stroke. And I wish I could find the fairness in that.
Life is not fair. God knows, I wish it was. But that was never promised by God or the law.
I really encourage you to find a support group for grief. You need people who understand your loss and anger right now.
2007-03-19 13:32:34 · answer #3 · answered by wendy c 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my family are experiencing the same..my bro and his ex wife divorced she stopped him and us seeing the children for no reason,she re married kept her maiden name while the kids kept my brothers name and we found out 3 weeks go that she died at crimbo from a brain tumour....so my brother is going for custody as they are HIS KIDS and the step dad has no rites as he was told by his solicitor...the kids are nothing to do with my bros ex wifes husband as no one has taken his name..the hubby aint happy but thats tuff my brother and his side of the family should never have been denied visits and it looks like my brother will get the kids back...he was never a bad father and visits were stopped at the ex wifes request its the kids i feel sorry for it took her family 6 months to tell us that my bros ex wife had died so my brother has a lot of missed time to make up for through no fault of his own
2007-03-19 07:37:46 · answer #4 · answered by greyhound mummy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sorry to hear about your loss. To bad you wife did not leave a will that left custody of your step daughter in your custody. Someone should put together a manual for this kind of stuff.
2007-03-19 07:29:43 · answer #5 · answered by I'm Not Lost 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Sorry. but if u wanted her(I mean really) you should have adopted her, or at least have vistited a lawyer about it(in which case you could prove to a judge that you were in the process). Since it seems you did'nt...lesson learned.
2007-03-19 07:31:28 · answer #6 · answered by redsoxxgal04 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't think stepfathers should have any rights. You weren't her father, you didn't adopt her. It's a shame, but she wasn't yours to begin with
2007-03-19 07:27:16 · answer #7 · answered by DnBprincess850 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋
She is "His" Daughter, not yours, so why do you feel you should have any rights with regards to her?
2007-03-19 07:30:53 · answer #8 · answered by mrfoxhorn 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋