Stepparent Adoption

Question: stepparent adoption???? So I am wondering if it is possible to annul a stepparent adoption. If so how would you go about doing that? How long would it take, how much would it cost. any info would help. thanks.

Answer: call at attorney

Question: StepParent Adoption? I am the step parent and my husband has sole custody of our son. He is not biologically my son but I say he is because he has never seen his mother because she left him when he was 6 months old and he has been in my care with myself and husband. I am wanting to legally adopt this beautiful son of ours and I am wondering what advice you all have for us. We have a lawyer and are going through the proper channels to get this done. I am just wondering if any one else has done a step parent adoption and what it was like. If so please email me or leave some advice on here. I think I am just nervous that she will all of a sudden come back into the picture and try to take this blessing away from the only stable home he knows. Let me state for the record she has not seen him since he was 4 months old, has not supported him financially etc. What do you all think? Please respond as soon as you all can! Thank you in advance! Yes we have been together for 4 yrs. And I know my "role". Oh and I love this boy as if he was my own. I also treat him as if he was mine biologically and not any different!

Answer: The only problem I can see with it is maybe you and your husband splitting up later on down the road. Since she abandoned him there shouldn't be any legal trouble.

Question: has anyone gone through the stepparent adoption process in Denton County? We are currently starting the process for a stepparent adoption in Denton County. My ex, as of this time, hasn't signed away rights, but we were prepared for that. We've asked the court to terminate his rights on the grounds of abandonment, failure to support and in regards to a previous termination that he filed suit for himself. Anyone gone through this?

Answer: yes but i was 7 and now i am 15

Question: Can a biological father disagree with, or stop a stepparent adoption? Can a biological father disagree with, or stop a stepparent adoption? i have sole legal and sole physical custody of my 3 year old daughter. Father has no contact with child and pay no child support.

Answer: YES, a father can do both. If his lawyer fights hard enough he has a great chance to stop the adoption.Non- Support can not be used against him.

Question: Stepparent Adoption?????????? Ok, Lets say your mother & father divorce, & your mother gets remaired, can her new husband adopt you, even though you still have two biological parents?

Answer: Yes if the natural parent signs away their rights or they are terminated by the court for either abuse or abandonment. Most states say that a child has been legally abandoned if a parent does not pay child support or visit (or make an attempt to visit) the child in a certain time period. In some states it is a year, and in others I have sen it be as little as 6 months. However if a child is old enough and does not want the adoption, I think the judge will consider the child's feelings

Question: Cant find father to sign for Stepparent adoption? I have a 10 yer old son who has not seen his biological father in 71/2 years. My husband and son both want to file for stepparent adoption . The problem is I can't find the biological father to ask him to sign the paperwork (I don't know if he would anyway) What are my options now?

Answer: you need to see an attorney. If he can't be found you can petition the court to have his rights terminated. Then you can proceed with the adoption.

Question: need advice on a stepparent adoption? Im planning on adopting my stepson and am curious as to what happens during the initial hearing and what kind of questions will the judge ask my wife and i? if anyone has gone through a stepparent adoption any advice would be appreciated.

Answer: the court will be minor, you still have to get thru the adoption home study. There's where you get asked all kinds of questions that may seem quite invasive.

Question: How long do you have to be married before stepparent adoption? I am getting married to my boyfriend of two years. He would like to adopt my 3 year old and the biodad will agree to this. Can we file as soon as we get married? We live in Indiana.

Answer: I believe there is a 6 month waiting period before filing to adopt by a step parent. Call your states attorney and ask.

Question: what do you about stepparent adoption? We want to do an stepparent adoption, but we don't know if is a good idea to those type of services where you represent yourself at the court, or pay like 5000 dls. to get an attorney? as far as we know both take the same period of time to get done, but of course we are thinking about taking the help service without an attorney, and obviously we don't want to get into scam. HELP PLEASE!!!

Answer: we are going through a step parent adoption right now, my ex husband consented to the adoption so we went to the clerk of court got all the adoption papers, me, my husband and my ex husband had to fill them out in front of a notary, paid the notary fees and too the papers back to the court house. it only cost us $100 ($50 per child) now all we are waiting on is the home study that is going to cost $200 and then the court date....good luck

Question: Is it ok to totally rename a 9 year old who is going through a stepparent adoption? My husband is adopting my 9 year old. He wants to change my sons whole name. He wants to change it because he has his biological fathers name who is not in the picture at all. I think its too late to change my sons name.

Answer: NO.

Question: What's the difference between change of name on a minor and an stepparent adoption????? I'M TRYING TO CHANGE MY SON'S LAST NAME.I GOT MARRIED 3 YEARS AGO,SINCE I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE NATURAL FATHER IS MY ACTUAL HUSBAND AND I WANT TO CHANGE HIS LAST NAME. THANKS AND I'LL BE WAITING ANSWERS

Answer: A name change is unilateral and changes nothing but the name of the child. An adoption changes the rights and responsibilities of both the adoptive parent and child. The adopted child, for instance, has the same right to inherit from the adopted father as do the biological children. The adopted father will have all the legal responsibilities and rights as would a biological father. For instance, if you two divorce, the adopted father would have as much right to custody as would you. In contrast, if your child merely takes the man's name and then you divorce, he has no parental rights at all in that child.

Question: Has anyone done stepparent adoption in Georgia? I do not know where to start. I do not see the bio father signing away his rights but I easily see a judge granting it based on the circumstances. Therefore I do not see the need to pay a lawyer and increase my costs. So what do I do first? tomorrow....what? I do not understand your answer....are you finalizing a stepparent adoption tomorrow? If so, where did you begin the process? The bio father has not seen him in 2 years and that was only because by complete acident, we bumped into him. And that time was the first time in the 18 months prior to that. He has only ever made ONE child support payment which was only paid so he could get out of jail for NOT paying child support. He has absolutely NO involvement and has not played an active role (or a role at all) in my son's life since my son was 18 months old. (He turned 5 a few weeks ago). I recently found the forms to print online but do not know what else to do besides fill them out and bring them to the court. What should I expect to pay for filing fees?

Answer: Incorect,most times you can go to the probate judges office in your county and they will help you. Understand they'll not give you legal advice, it's against the law. Probing around the courthouse and asking questions in way that's not an appearance of asking legal advice will get you the answers your looking for. Don't be overbearing in questioning and be very polite, especially when you see no light at the end of the tunnel. I assure you, with patience and determination you'll et what your lokking for.

Question: Looking for info on stepparent adoption in Ohio? My fiancee and I are planning to get married soon. And to the best of my knowledge, we have to be married for at least before he can adopt my children. I need help finding info on the process of filing for the adoption. Is this something can be done only with an attorney or can it be done pro se? And we will more than likely have some bumps in the road because my daughter's father has already said he would consent to the adoption. My son's father on the other hand, I know how he is and I don't think he would consent. He hasn't had any contact with my son in two years. He pays child support on a not so regular basis. Is there anyway to bypass him in the process? And I don't know where he lives now or how to even go about getting ahold of him so how would we be able to let him know when it it time since he has to be made aware of the adoption? All of his family has moved and all numbers have been changed, I have no way of finding out where he is now. And even if he is found, is there any that they would grant the adoption even if he won't give up his rights? The age of my daughter is 6 and my son is 4. They both know my fiancee as daddy and none of us want that to change. I've looked at some websites and still didnt find any helpful info and some sites i didnt understand at all. Anyone who can help other than telling me to contact an attorney would be helpful.

Answer: I had a friend that got married 3 yrs. ago, and her husband adopted her 9 yr. old son. But she told me she had to get a lawyer for it all. She explained to me that her ex. didn't have any contact with her son for quite a long time. And unfortunately, he has to be contacted to be made aware of the adoption. When they had their court appearance, he didn't appear to disagree with the adoption. So they granted the adoption. And yes, this was in the state of Ohio. I don't know how helpful this will be for you. I hope it all works out for you and your children. And I applaud your husband for wanting to adopt them. That's a good man! And that's what your children need. I wish you and your family the best of luck!

Question: do you need an attorney for a stepparent adoption? My fiance was with me when i was 3 months pregnant w. my son. My child is now 16 months old and my fiance has raised him since he was born. His biological father has NEVER seen or paid anything for him and agrees to give up his rights. if both biological parents have an agreement would we need an attorney to make it happen?

Answer: All parties involved in ANY adoptions MUST be represented by an attorney in a court of law. It's for everyone's benefit and is a requirement. Many times the Judge will ask that Family services also does a homestudy on the family---and that is has it should be.

Question: How is to-be stepparent adoption possible?

Answer: Depends on where you live. In California, you need to apply to the local Superior Court, Family Division. (most states are probably somewhat similar). Depends on how long you have been involved in the relationship, and the willingness of the birth parent (if he/she is still around) to consent to allowing you (as the step parent) to adopt. The social services department may want you to wait until AFTER you are , in fact the step parent before allowing the adoption. Check with your local library. Most have sample copies of the papers that you would need to file - saving money on an attorney. GOOD LUCK!

Question: Where can I get stepparent adoption forms in Carson City, Nevada or online?? I'm the one terminating the rights, though. Why do I need a lawyer?

Answer: I am not sure you can. You'll probably have to go to a lawyer as you have to go to court to get bio parent rights terminated , then go thru the adoption process. Its alot more than just filling out papers.

Question: Stepparent adoption in Georgia and/or Alabama? Does anyone know where I can get the forms to fill out for a stepparent adoption? It can be for Alabama or Georgia ... Thanks!! It can be in the state we reside in. We are a military family and will be in Fort Benning GA.... so depending on which side of the river we move to, we could live in AL or GA.... thus the reason I asked for EITHER. Thanks :)

Answer: It can't be either Georgia or Alabama. It has to be the state that you are going to reside in after the marriage is to take place, and in the state most likely to have your marriage ceremony, and hopefully, the residence of the child in. There's going to be several things done. You truly need an attorney to do these. First of all, the first parents of this child will need to give consent for the child to be adopted. There's going to be a waiting period after they sign the consent. Also, the children's birth certificate will need to be changed legally. These things all require little known forms to do. Go to www.adoption.com for more information. Then, I'd contact a law who specializes in family practice and adoption.

Question: Does anyone have any advice on stepparent adoption in NC or guidlines for having parental rights taken away? The biological father of my 3 yo daughter has never seen, supported, or otherwise had anything to do with her. He has been given the opportunity several times and refused. How could I go about having his parental rights taken away and filing the paperwork to allow my husband to adopt her. We live in North Carolina. Any real help would be greatly appreciated. I do not want to run the risk at this point of him taking an interest in her because he is on drugs and has been abusive to his recent girlfriend (and to me before-I had a restraining order against him). The child is healthy and happy now and I don't want that disturbed. I would like to prove him an unfit father but am unsure of the guidelines to have his rights stripped.

Answer: If he has not seen or supported your daughter in more than a year, then you can file for a TPR (terminationn of parental rights) under the abandonment laws. If you do not know his current whereabouts, then you may be able to publish a public notice in the paper which tells of your intent to have his rights terminated. He will have about thirty days to respond to the notice, if he does not then you can proceed as though he is not contesting the adoption. You will have to show the court that you took every measure to locate the father, you can use sights such as anywho.com to search for him, call old mutual friends, or family of his if you still have contact with them. If you do know where he is then you will have to have him served, unless you can get him to sign over his rights willingly. Many parents are willing to sign their rights away when they learn that it releaves their child support obligation. If he has been in and out of jail, as well as had restraining orders against him, not having contact with the child, nor supporting him, gather your proof together and take him to court you have a good case to get his rights terminated. Check out the link below for more information on stepparent adoption!

Question: Stepparent adoption laws in South Carolina? My husband is wanting to adopt my 5 year old daughter from a previous relationship. The "biological sperm donor" has not seen her in over 2 years and is now in prison. Does anyone know any websites that have listed the laws about stepparent adoption or any other info? I will be speaking with a lawyer in about a month but I would like to know some of the laws in the meantime. Thanks :)

Answer: Hi. I'm an adoptive mom and a stepmom. Here's all know about step-parent adoption : State laws on stepparent adoptions vary. Most States have a streamlined process for adoptions by stepparents whereby the judge hearing the adoption petition has the ability to dispense with the requirement in State laws for an adoption home study. Some States, however, will not approve a stepparent adoption unless the custodial parent has been married to the stepparent for 1 year or longer. When a stepparent wishes to adopt a stepchild, the child's parents (the stepparent's spouse and the noncustodial or absent parent) are usually both required to consent to that adoption. In consenting to an adoption, the noncustodial parent relinquishes all parental rights and responsibilities, including child support. If the noncustodial parent objects to the proposed adoption and refuses to consent to it, State laws may prevent the adoption from proceeding. Some State adoption laws specify special circumstances under which the noncustodial parent's consent is not required. Other States have made special provisions in their adoption laws to allow stepparent adoptions to occur, even over the objections of the noncustodial parent, in cases where the noncustodial parent has failed to maintain communication with the child for a specified period of time. Here's a link to more info about stepparent adoption http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/f_step.cfm Here is a link to search statutes by state for issues related to child adoption. Results will provide summaries of State statutes (and full text of laws, in some cases). http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/general/legal/st… Best wishes and God bless

Question: Back child support and stepparent adoption? The father of my daughter and I separated when she was 6 months old and I eventually moved 150 miles away with her. I did not file for child support until 11 months later when I went back to school and the CRSU began the process for me. They were unable to find him to serve him the papers until over a year later and to this date (almost 2 yrs after the process was started) I have not received child support. In that time, my daughter has not seen her biological father and does not know who he is and he has made no effort to contact her. I was recently married and my husband has filed to adopt my daughter who is now 3 yrs old. If he agrees to the adoption (or doesn't respond and his rights are terminated), do I still have a right for back child support either from the date we separated or the date the CRSU began the filing process? I have been told I do not since there was never an order in place and it was my decision to move her away from him. To clarify the move: The biological father supported our move and I drove her to see him every other weekend for a few months. However, with him not paying child support and the fact that I ended up paying for him whenever we went to see him, that process could not continue. He made absolutely no effort to come and see her even though he knew where we lived and that he was welcome. He moved and changed his phone number without notification to me, no forwarding address given and doesn't answer emails. So, in my opinion I tried but it appears that he does not want to take responsibility for her.

Answer: Talk to an attorney. You can get a free consultation. My thoughts are so grateful your child has a daddy now willing to take her and be her Father and forget the other guy. That don't mean be rude or anything cause there could be a day she will want to find him and that is OK. Cause she will figure it all out on her own who stuck in there for her in the long haul of life. Best wishes to you.