The applicant, uncle of a minor child, brought a motion to change a prior custody order following the death of the child's biological father.
The respondent, the child's mother, sought sole custody with no specified access for the applicant.
The applicant sought joint custody with primary residence in his home.
The court found that the respondent's parenting abilities were significantly limited, evidenced by poor school attendance records, lack of structure and boundaries, and the child assuming a caregiver role for the mother.
The applicant demonstrated stable, loving parenting with appropriate supervision and structure.
The court granted sole custody to the applicant with specified access to the respondent, finding that joint custody was not feasible given the respondent's unwillingness to cooperate and her apparent cognitive limitations.