Does refusal to return a child after the weekend automatically give me custody?
Does refusal to return a child after the weekend automatically give me custody?
My daughter’s dad took her for the weekend and never brought her home it’s been almost a month he won’t respond to my calls do I automatically have custody he pays child support does that make order of custody?
I will assume from the context of your question that you do not have a court order of child custody. If that is correct, then the fact that the child’s father picked her up claiming to keep her with him for the weekend does not mean he has any legal obligation to keep his word. If he is the child’s father and there is no child custody order issued by a court with valid jurisdiction over the father and child, then the father has no obligation to “return” the child to you. Nor does his refusal to “return” the child to you somehow “automatically” entitle you to sole physical custody of the child. The fact that he pays child support may *help* you establish a claim to custody *in a court action* filed to establish paternity and child support, but does not automatically make you the custodial parent.
Utah Family Law, LC | divorceutah.com | 801-466-9277
Tags: automatic, child custody