Adopt a 15-yr-old girl (non-resident alien)

Hi,

I have two kids, 14 and 12. Plan to adopt a 15-year-old girl. She, her little brother and their mom (and my family) all live in Irvine, CA. They are citizens of Taiwan with outdated visas. The mother is divorced. The ex-husband lives in Taiwan and has never taken care of the girl or paid any child support.

We all live in the same city and state in America. must we get an attorney for the adoption? An immigration attorney?

Appreciate your comments. (Please give details if you don't mind.)
yvonne

[nextwife]

There are several obvious problems with this plan, and you definately will need to speak to an attorney:

" She, her little brother and their mom (and my family) all live in Irvine, CA**************.. The ex-husband lives in Taiwan and has never taken care of the girl or paid any child support."

-She doesn't meet the INS definition of "orphan" She has two living, legal parents

" They are citizens of Taiwan**************."

-Jurisdiction for any termination of the father's legal rights (and likely the mother's) may lie with the Government of Taiwan's legal system, and we are unable to advise you about other than US Law. The Hague Convention agreement has involved language dealing with protecting children in adoption and custody between nations. I do not know that a US court would have the authority to terminate either parent's right's.

".... with outdated visas."

Having adopted a child who was a citizen of another nation myself, the process would normally require an I600, and the adoption was processed through the courts of the country of which my daughter was a citizen. She was legally our child before entering the US. . The visa for the adopted child is issued before entry into the US, so I'm not sure how that might be handled now. There is another process, in which the adoption is started there and completed here, but that too requires a visa prior to entry. You really need an attorney to sort through this.

Thank you very much, nextwife. (What a name!)

If you have connection and/or knowledge of law firms would you please recommend one for this particular case, in southern cal? especially in Orange County area...

Again, appreciate your input.
yt