Getting Full Custody from Joint Custody

My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Tennessee

My brother has joint custody of his two kids with their mother. She was recently jailed for serious drug charges. My brother was told by child services that to get full custody, the kids would go into states custody until the case was settled. So he is afraid to go for it because the last thing we want is for them to go into states custody. They are currently living with my brother and my mother is helping to get them to school and back in another county where their mother lives. She is still in Jail. They also went to a lawyer but he wanted $4000 up front.. This is an amount we do not have up front. From what I have read it is best to act fast; however, it will take us a while to come up with four thousand dollars. We are just lost on what to do and where to start. Any advice will be so helpful. Thank you.

What is it that Dad is trying to accomplish? Even with full custody, it won't prohibit Mom from being granted visitation once released from jail or prison if she is convicted, unless she is deemed a danger to the children.

We do not want to take the mother completely out of the children's lives. Visitation would be fine. However, The kids were living with her through the week due to their school being in her county. We live 20 minutes apart but the counties are different. She will likely be in jail for a while as her charges are very serious and involve manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine. What he is trying to accomplish is the kids moving into his house. Unfortunately, it would mean a school change. Right now they are staying with him but he would like to make it permanent.

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Quoting Ashlett

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My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Tennessee

My brother has joint custody of his two kids with their mother. She was recently jailed for serious drug charges. My brother was told by child services that to get full custody, the kids would go into states custody until the case was settled. So he is afraid to go for it because the last thing we want is for them to go into states custody. They are currently living with my brother and my mother is helping to get them to school and back in another county where their mother lives. She is still in Jail. They also went to a lawyer but he wanted $4000 up front.. This is an amount we do not have up front. From what I have read it is best to act fast; however, it will take us a while to come up with four thousand dollars. We are just lost on what to do and where to start. Any advice will be so helpful. Thank you.

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Who told him that the children would have to go into states custody until the case was settled?

Child services when he called them to ask what the process was. It didn't sound right to me since he has joint custody already.. but they told him to think long and hard about involving them because they would go to the state in the mean time, "until the case was closed."

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Quoting Ashlett

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Child services when he called them to ask what the process was. It didn't sound right to me since he has joint custody already.. but they told him to think long and hard about involving them because they would go to the state in the mean time, "until the case was closed."

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Why in the world would he involve them at all? You do NOT get child services involved to change custody. You file a motion in court to change custody. What in the world was he thinking in calling them? They gave him GOOD advice.