QUESTION

How can we help this boy get a better life?

Asked on Sep 06th, 2013 on Family Law - Utah
More details to this question:
Several years ago, I became the foster parent of a 4-year-old boy who lived with our family for a number of years and who we loved very much. His greatest problem at 4 was his ability to control his anger and would have tantrums that seemed to come from nowhere. At age 10 months, he had been severely beaten, having been hospitalized for quite sometime and I was told he nearly died. After returning to the custody of his grandmother, we stayed in contact with for quite sometime. Having told grandma he was welcome to come to our house anytime for as long as he wanted, she would periodically drop him off to us and he would stay for weeks at a time. He was like one of our own. Somewhere over time, we lost contact with them and tried finding him over the years. I finally was able to do that on Facebook about a week ago. He is now age 22. I find him living in the basement of the parents of an ex-girlfriend (she no longer lives there). He tells me he spent most of the past few years up to age 18 in and out of corrective homes for boys and lived at home with his grandmother only sporadically. He tells me he does not work because it will jeopardize the medicare and medicaid he is on. He mentions that he was determined to be "partially mentally retarded" and not competent to manage his own life. He tells me he never sees any money and has asked to see legal papers regarding himself and grandma, who is living with a boyfriend elsewhere, says she has to figure out where she put them. His explanation any money received from SSI is that "grandma keeps 200.00 and gives his aunt (who lives elsewhere with her boyfriend) 400.00. He tells me that he calls Aunt and asks her to bring food to where he lives and she has done that. I spoke some with the father of his ex-girlfriend to get his perspective of what is happening and he tells me how he is in disbelief at how they do not bother with him and give him nothing.
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1 ANSWER

Divorce & Family Law Attorney serving Salt Lake City, UT at Utah Family Law LC
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Regardless of what court orders may or may not exist and that may or may not control this man's finances and care, if you are willing to come forward to assist him and want the court to order you to be his guardian Sandor conservators, you can file a petition in the court, explain that you don't know what his legal situation is with regard to any possible past court orders that may still be in force, notify the court of all the people you can think of who might have a right to Laura an interest in receiving notice of your new legal action, and the court should welcome you with open arms if you do so. Now I'm not saying the court will grant your petition, but if you show that you're trying to do things right, with full disclosure and do notice, the court will listen to you. if no one comes forward to challenge her petition, you should obtain the relief you seek for this man.
Answered on Sep 06th, 2013 at 10:02 AM

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