“A friend of mine recently met his daughter for the first time, he did not know that she existed until she found him, she is 13 years old. She is currently living with her grandfather on her mother’s side. Her mother died a few years ago. My friend would really like custody of his daughter.  What would be the best course of action to getting custody of his daughter?  They both live in California.”

Your friend can file either for a guardianship or adoption of his daughter.  This is a highly complicated area of law that could lead to extensive litigation if there is a dispute.  The easiest and safest way to go about that is to contact a California lawyer who practices in family law and adoption law.  If finances are a concern, your friend can contact a local Bar Association and ask for the contact information for a pro bono family law attorney, who will work either for free or at a graduated pay schedule according to what your friend can afford.