Adoption: If Biological Father Doesn't Consent

[joecurtin]

What is the name of your state? California
If the biological father doesn't consent to the adoption of his child by a stepfather who has married the child's mother, what does the stepfather have to do in order to adopt the child against the biological father's wishes? Thanks.

[brisgirl825]

Go to court. Read the link and then talk to an atty.

[url]http://library.adoption.com/termination-of-parental-rights/grounds-for-termination-of-parental-rights-california/article/8394/1.html[/url]

[nextwife]

Is there any LEGAL basis to terminate biodad's rights?

Stepdad (or biomom) simply WANTING this adoption is not enough. The courts do not take away a parents rights against their wishes without a legally valid reason. You and I can't just decide we want another person's child and adopt them without the parent(s) wishing this.

if the father wont consent, then stepdad cant adopt, period end of story. he cant force dad to sign over his rights. he may have to live with the fact that he will never be this child's legal father, and theres nothing he can do

[justmom611]

Originally Posted by scaredandalone

if the father wont consent, then stepdad cant adopt, period end of story. he cant force dad to sign over his rights. he may have to live with the fact that he will never be this child's legal father, and theres nothing he can do

Kelly, you really should not chime in when you don't know what you're talking about. If you'd taken the time to read the link that Bris provided, you'd see that there are some circumstances when a bio parent's rights can be terminated and a step-parent allowed to adopt.

[stealth2]

There are always grounds - but they have to be met. Dad's lack of consent if he were, say, convicted of molesting said child would have no bearing at all. Absent something relatively major, though, lessens the odds of being successful.

Things are rarely as black and white as Kelly would like for them to be.

[Shay-Pari'e]

Originally Posted by scaredandalone

if the father wont consent, then stepdad cant adopt, period end of story. he cant force dad to sign over his rights. he may have to live with the fact that he will never be this child's legal father, and theres nothing he can do

You really do enjoy looking stupid, don't you?