I was surprised to find out yesterday that I'm the father of a beautiful daughter. I live in NJ, my cild is in TX. The "mother" was deemed a drug addict unfit to parent her, so the grand parents took her. Her name is Jaide and she is 8 yrs old, and she doesn't know I exist... What steps do I take? I want to do this correctly and inevitably take on full custody. I am engaged with 2 sons (6 &4) and I don't know where to go from here but am willing to fight. I need direction on how to begin the process. Help would be appreciated

You would have to go to Court in the proper jurisdiction (Texas, the residence of the child) and request paternity testing. After DNA proves you are the father you would proceed with a motion to obtain custody.

How did you learn about the child?

I suggest that you make contact with the grandparents, introduce yourself, and politely inform them that you would like to establish a relationship with the child. It would be far better if you can do this in a friendly fashion, because I don't see you being able to force the issue.

The first question is how did you find this out? That will dictate your next step. The next question is how did the grandparents get custody? Through a court? Do they have guardianship, custody, did they adopt?

Without knowing the answer to those questions, its hard to advise what your next steps should be.