A child custody dispute between the California sister of an accused murderer and the parents of the victim was set for a hearing in a California courtroom. The sister of the man accused of killing his live-in partner and the mother of his two children has petitioned for custody of the couple's boys, while the parents of the victim have also requested to have custody granted to them.

The suspect is currently out on bond on the charge that he shot his girlfriend during an argument over another woman. The couple had been together for 14 years when the shooting occurred. The suspect initially told police that the victim shot herself, then said that the gun went off accidentally when the victim brought it to him to clean it.

The children's grandmother claims that she has only had a brief visit with the boys since the shooting and that the older child was taken away to California immediately after the death. While the grandparents have been vocal to reporters about their plight, the sister and brother-in-law have refused to be interviewed.

A divorce attorney often has to counsel family members about their rights and the strategies they may use to seek custody of children. This is especially difficult in situations such as this one, in which two family members are fighting for the right to bring up the children in the absence of their parents. Seeking the advice of a divorce attorney can help family members to learn exactly what the law says with regard to secondary child custody.

Source: Chicago Heights Patch, "Slain Woman's Mom Takes Child Custody Dispute to California," Adam Townsend, Oct. 15, 2012