I have a client who 9 years ago and a little girl. Her daughter lives with her grandmother because of lost custody issues. She is trying to win custody back but in order to do so she needs to prove that the 9 year olds father has abandoned the child. He has never met her, never spoken to her and has never contributed with child support. How does she prove that the child has been abandoned by her father and where can this be done?
Thank you

If you have a client, it sounds like you are an attorney and you should know the answer.

But the legal determination of abandonment is ( in the US) determined by each state. So there is no one answer to this, it will depend on where the custody filing was done for the child.

But for the mother to win custody is not dependent upon the status of the father if the granmother has phsycial custody of the child it is in showing her abiltiy and desire for custody, and of course showing that they also vistied, paid child support and also did not desert the child

Where do you work that there would not be the necessary information for you to help your client?
A member of the Help Desk did post some links on proving an unfit parent:
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/family...ent-46931.html

Thank you for responses. As for Chuck, I am not an attorney, I am a Crisis Intervention Worker at a local Crisis Centre. I only have small bits of information on this topic. I have tried to research on the internet but I am not getting the answers that I need. Also I believe you didn't read the question correctly, or maybe it was mis stated. The child's father has NOT had any contact with the child in 9 years, nor has he paid suport of any kind. Also the child is residing with the grandmother on the biological mothers side of the family. Thank you for your response.