Adotion without being married.

[acesfull]

What is the name of your state? NJ

Hi All

Is it possible to adopt my live in girlfriends daughter?
We are currently not married. We have been together 7 years.
The biofather does not pay child support or have any court orders for visatation.
Girlfriend does not seek child support or anything from biofather.
I raised the child and pay all the expenses associated with raising the child.
How difficult will it be to adopt being we are not married? Thanks in advance.

acesfull

Originally Posted by acesfull

What is the name of your state? NJ

Hi All

Is it possible to adopt my live in girlfriends daughter?
We are currently not married. We have been together 7 years.
The biofather does not pay child support or have any court orders for visatation.
Girlfriend does not seek child support or anything from biofather.
I raised the child and pay all the expenses associated with raising the child.
How difficult will it be to adopt being we are not married? Thanks in advance.

acesfull

you cannot adopt your gf's daughter untill you and she have been married at least a year. and you need the bio father's consent. no court will allow you to adopt the child when you and the mother arent married.

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by daddylonglegs

you cannot adopt your gf's daughter untill you and she have been married at least a year. and you need the bio father's consent. no court will allow you to adopt the child when you and the mother arent married.

I agree with your answer in general. However, there are always wierd exceptions that happen out there. Dad's consent might not be necessary if he can be found to have abandoned the child.

It would probably be wisest to consult with a local adoption attorney.

[Ohiogal]

The bigger question is whether or not biodad has ever been legally adjudicated to be the father. There is no mention of that.

[nextwife]

Originally Posted by LdiJ

I agree with your answer in general. However, there are always wierd exceptions that happen out there. Dad's consent might not be necessary if he can be found to have abandoned the child.

It would probably be wisest to consult with a local adoption attorney.

The poster is NOT married to mom. So the question of biodad's consent is only part of the problem. If poster means:

can he adopt as CO-parent WITH mom, rather than,

can he do a single parent adoption of girlfriend's child with her and biodad relinguishing rights.

the answer is no, even with biodad's consent. The "step" parent in a stepparent adoption must be married to the parent of the child they are adopting.

[ceara19]

Originally Posted by nextwife

The poster is NOT married to mom. So the question of biodad's consent is only part of the problem. If poster means:

can he adopt as CO-parent WITH mom, rather than,

can he do a single parent adoption of girlfriend's child with her and biodad relinguishing rights.

the answer is no, even with biodad's consent. The "step" parent in a stepparent adoption must be married to the parent of the child they are adopting.

Actually, in SOME states, under certain circumstances, a person CAN adopt as a "co-parent", after one parent's rights have been terminated, with the remaining parents consent.

However, it is a much to difficult, complicated, legal procedure to even begin to get into on an Internet forum. The OP would need to discuss the possibility of doing this with an adoption attorney.