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adopting my 18 yr old step daughter?

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L

lafrederick

Guest
What is the name of your state? Arizona

Maybe some one can help me. I have had my stepdaughter since she was 5 yrs old. Her biological father is a drug addict in Los Angeles. We have had no contact with him in over 10 yrs, and my "daughter" wants me to adopt her, make it offical and change her last name to mine. Since she is 18 yrs old what do I need to do? Forms to fill out? etc. I see from reading that the state typically checks on the home enviroment, and does a background check on me etc. Which i have NO problem with... But I assume that all of this is for small under age children. One of the reasons we waited so long is that I assumed that after she was 18 (and legally an adult) it would be much easier to adopt her, with NO biological father involvment. A lot of assumptions I know, hoping to make this simple, short and sweet :) She is graudating High School in late May, hoping to make it a present for her. Name change and all.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Larry Frederick
 


C

craftymom

Guest
Unfortunately, even though your daughter is 18, you would still need to serve her biological father--either by service or publication in a newspaper at his last known address should service fail--to have him relinquish his "rights" (such as they are).

If your daughter were a minor, I'd suggest filing for abandonment against him--- but I'm not sure if that's still possible with her being a legal adult, and I would imagine contact would still need to be attempted to inform him of his "rights" being terminated.

If nothing else, as an adult, your daughter could petition the court herself for a name change. Neither she, nor her mother, need bio-dad's permission for that any longer--she's an adult now and could change her name to Betty Boop if she wished to.

I realize that there may be a desire to make her legally your daughter by having your name on her birth certificate as well as the adoption papers, but considering the time-frame you want to accomplish this in, perhaps the name change may be the quicker route to go, and you could attempt the adoption after the fact? Just a thought.....
 
L

lafrederick

Guest
Its never easy!!!

Thank everyone. Will take your advise. I'll get the papers to have her change her name, and also get the papers to adopt here. Do I have to use a lawyer, or can I do this all myself??

Thanks in advance

Larry
 

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