My sister and I were very close she died in 1999 and she told me she wanted me to raise her daughter who when she died was only 17 months old. She was not married but the dad did claim her on the birth certificate. When my sister died my niece stayed with me for a few months, but when her dad found out he could sue for moms wrongful death and receive social sucrity money he came and took her from me . No lawyer would help me then. Now they are in wilmer Texas,[i live in louisiana] she stays with his mother and sister and he is into drugs and only comes around to pick up that monthly check and never does any thing for my niece except to give her and his mother a hard time . My niece is now asking to please come and live with me. My heart is heavy I promised my sister I would take care of my niece and legaly I am stumped I am not rich we barely make it he has less than i.the last time I tried to get her in 1999 he kept her from us for a year. I know I can give her a good stable home . Me and my husband have been married for 21 years we have 3 kids 2 have graduated from high school we have one 16 year old left at home . I am a nurse and my husband is a truck driver who drives local he is home every night. And we own and lived in the same place for 10 years.can I do this and how

You are going to need to get an attorney to file for custody. You are going to have to prove he is not being a father and that you can provide a more stable home.

But you need an attorney to advise you on how to do alll that properly.