Do I have any legal rights as a stepparent after my divorce?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Do I have any legal rights as a stepparent after my divorce?
I’ve been married for 9 years and the acting father figure in my daughter’s (technically my stepdaughter) life since she was only a year old and she’s now 14. My wife is pursuing divorce and I don’t want it. She claims that she won’t keep me from still being the acting father in my little girl’s life but I fear that may not come true if she wins and gets approved divorce. Do I as a loving parent have any rights? Does my daughter have the right to be heard in court about it?
Asked on September 15, 2011 under Family Law, Maine
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
You sound like a great guy and your daughter is lucky to have you in her life. Unfortunately though, step parent shave no rights to visitation after divorce if the natural parent chooses to block you seeing each other. Her being 14 is a plus and she may be able to request that the court listen to her, but they are not under any obligation to order the visitation. I can, see, one way though to have things swing in your way. Are you planning on paying child support? You have no legal obligation to do so but your voluntarily doing so could sway the court in your favor. Good luck to you.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.