Step Parent Parental Rights

Generally speaking are step parents any more or less empowered than a blood parent in any regard short of the presence of the blood parent expressing contradictory desire for a different handling of a situation.

FTR no this is not secondary to any disagreement between me and my wife Cyn more like me and her ex-husband. Me and Cyn are in agreement on the issue in question.

Well, I am biased in this situation (my son lives with his mom and male friend) but my feeling is that no, the step-parent should bow down to the wishes of both parents, custodial and non-custodial.

Of course that is only if the non-custodial parent is making an effort to participate in the child’s life. If the non-custodial parent is AWOL then it would fall back to the custiodial parent and his/her wishes.

If she has custody and she says you have a say in raising the child then you do have the rights she gave you. If the father has custody then you don’t have any rights in regard to the child. If your wife says you don’t, you don’t, you don’t have any rights in regard to the child. If they have joint custody, then give her your support. In other words, step-parents don’t have rights based on being a step-parent.

I do firmly believe that a blood parent should be able to trump the parental rights of a step parent. This involves a disciplinary issue while the custodial blood parent was not available. And child (rather impotently) demanding I have no disciplinary authority because of my “step” status.

Well since we are talking about a 16y/o in a 50/50 custody situation custody comes down to who she less pissed off at this week and begs to come rescue her from whatever discipline she faces with her current situation.

The situation came up while my blood parent wife was not available and a judgement call on the spot was needed. I talked to Cyn soon after the incident and we are in agreement concerning my actions.

I think me and Doctor Cuervo are going to have a long talk after dad picks up the kid.

Well, sounds like your wife and bio-dad don’t put up a united front like they should. That’s to bad. It could allow the kid to use them both against each other. I usually extend her punishments to when my son is with me, unless, after hearing both sides of the story, I think she is being unfair. Doesn’t happen often though.

Oh kid abuses the hell out of bio parents well developed hatred for each other. Well since the kid is claiming they will never come back as long as Cyn is married to me I guess the problem is at least partially solved.

427 days to the 18th birthday…

Dude, this is one of those legal questions where the answer not only varies by state, but it also varies by what the exact issue is (i.e., for what reason is the step-parent is asserting “rights” vis-a-vis the child).

Asking legal questions is only marginally useful when the question is general or is about the Constitution or something, but you’re just not gonna get anything useful on this question. In fact, unless you have a good dose of salt handy you may get some ideas into your head that have no reason being there.

Thats why I asked “in general”

Don’t worry I have my 50 pound bag of rock salt right here…