My boyfriend and I are currently looking to gain custody of his 2 yr old niece. His sister currently has partial custody and otherwise she is being shoveled around to people on her mothers side of the family. My boyfriend and I rent our home but together make a good income to support a child. Would he be able to gain custody of his niece in the state of Texas even though he is not married and does not own a home? The child needs a stable environment and soon! HELP! :confused:

In what state does the child reside? What's going on with the father?

The child resides in Texas. The father is incarcerated and the mother does not have custody currently. The mother has just recently been released from the hospital for attempt of suicide. Neither parents should be named "fit to be parents".

One approach is to make a court-approved request to be guardian of the child and her property. There are lots of technicalities involved, such as annual reports. If you don't have one already, retain a competent lawyer. This should give you sufficient documentation to cover her on your major medical insurance.

Thank you for your help. We don't have a lawyer yet but we are looking to find one. So do you think we have a leg to stand on at all to attempt to gain custody? Especially with the mother still fighting for custody?