Chapter 160: Seeking Legal Help
"Sweetheart, I know you're upset, but you'll get through this. They're grown now, not babies crying for their mom," Roberta said.
"Roberta, we can't just take Liam away from his siblings," Monica replied.
"No, he needs to come with us. Isn't that what you've always wanted? To raise a child together," Roberta insisted.
"But coming back, everything feels different. Frank's disappearance might mean he's truly gone. This is my chance from God to step up, to be the mother they need, the pillar for these kids."
"I've always felt guilty for abandoning them," Monica confessed.
"Are you saying you want us to stay and take care of these kids?" Roberta asked.
"Yes," Monica nodded.
"No, no, I don't want to play house here. I can't raise six unruly kids. Do you know the stress of raising even one, let alone six, especially with their attitude and your condition?" Roberta argued.
"I'm better now. I can do it, I really can!" Monica reassured herself.
"If you truly believe that, why can't you look at me, Monica?" Roberta held Monica's gaze.
"When we met, you were a wreck, barely holding on," Roberta reminded her.
"I'm strong now!" Monica interrupted.
"But if we stay, how long can you last? The stress will break you again. Let's wait for the DNA results, then take Liam and leave," Roberta suggested, holding Monica.
"But..." Monica hesitated.
"I know you feel guilty about your kids. While we're here, spend time with them," Roberta advised.
"Alright," Monica agreed, leaning on Roberta.
"Frank's gone, they can't get his signature, so they're planning to use DNA tests to take Liam!?" Fiona exclaimed, shocked by Lip's call while she was at work.
After work, Fiona immediately sought out Veronica.
"We're too reactive. We need a plan," Fiona said.
"What's your plan?" Veronica asked.
"Monica's using legal means to take Liam. We need to understand the law and get a lawyer," Fiona declared.
"A lawyer, huh?" Veronica said, searching online for local attorneys.
"We need advice on overriding parental custody. I should've done this when I turned eighteen, when Monica left again, and Frank was too despondent to care. He would've signed anything," Fiona reflected.
Fiona and Veronica found several local lawyers, eventually selecting a professional-looking female attorney with apparent credentials.
They contacted her via the website and arranged a meeting.
Veronica accompanied Fiona to meet the lawyer. After some pleasantries, Fiona got straight to the point, conscious of the hourly charges.
"Hi, I want to adopt my younger brother and siblings, to raise them myself," Fiona stated directly.
"Are your parents still alive?" the lawyer inquired.
"Mom's around, Dad's missing but presumed dead," Fiona replied.
"Are your parents unfit?" the lawyer continued.
"Very unfit," Veronica interjected.
"So, you want to terminate your parents' custody and become the legal guardian?" the lawyer summarized.
"Five kids in total," Fiona clarified.
Among the six kids, only Fiona was an adult. The next eldest, Lip, was just seventeen.
"Wow, that's quite a number of kids," the lawyer remarked, surprised.
"You know, custody laws are strict. First, you need evidence proving parental unfitness. Do you have any documentation?" the lawyer asked.
"I've prepared it," Fiona said, handing over a thick file.
"Let me see," the lawyer took the file and skimmed through it.
"So, your mother, Monica, left a few years ago," the lawyer noted.
"Twenty-five and a half months, to be exact," Fiona specified.
"And now she's back?" the lawyer asked.
"Sort of," Fiona nodded.
"And your father, Frank Gallagher, wow, his record is quite something. He's missing, like your mother was?" the lawyer continued.
"No, Dad's different. He has cancer and didn't want us to worry," Fiona explained.
"Okay, I understand," the lawyer nodded.
"Your documentation is thorough, meeting the first requirement. Now, have you reached the federal poverty line income for a six-member household?" the lawyer asked.
"How much is that?" Veronica inquired.
"For five kids, about thirty thousand dollars annually," the lawyer calculated.
In custody disputes, income is critical. Without sufficient income, how can you support the children?
In divorce cases, custody is often awarded based on income, not who was at fault.
"Thirty thousand," Fiona and Veronica exchanged looks. It's not an astronomical sum, being the minimum federal poverty line.
Thirty thousand annually breaks down to about twenty-five hundred monthly. Achievable with a stable job, but Fiona relied on odd jobs.
(End of Chapter)