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Process for adopting step daughter

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xeenz

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? IL

Back in 2000, my fiancee got married to a Pakistani born US Citizen . She got her US VISA after a year of their marriage and was pregnant when she went to IL, US. Her daughter was born in US and is a US Citizen by birth. My wife is a green card holder that she got a year before her ex-husband's death. Her daughter was almost 3 years old when her ex-husband died. After his death she came back to Pakistan to live with her parents.

Now the problem is that her ex-husband's parents might file a suit for her daughter's custody once they find out that she is going to re-marry. In fact they are threatening her of that already.

I am a Pakistani Citizen and have no plans of moving to US. We don't want to leave any loop holes for her ex-husband's parents. Therefore need all the information about how I can adopt the child? What will be the process? Will hiring a lawyer be required? Costs involved? And any other relevant info. Thanks.
 


Silverplum

Senior Member
US LAW ONLY


What is the name of your state? IL

Back in 2000, my fiancee got married to a Pakistani born US Citizen . She got her US VISA after a year of their marriage and was pregnant when she went to IL, US. Her daughter was born in US and is a US Citizen by birth. My wife is a green card holder that she got a year before her ex-husband's death. Her daughter was almost 3 years old when her ex-husband died. After his death she came back to Pakistan to live with her parents.

Now the problem is that her ex-husband's parents might file a suit for her daughter's custody once they find out that she is going to re-marry. In fact they are threatening her of that already.

I am a Pakistani Citizen and have no plans of moving to US. We don't want to leave any loop holes for her ex-husband's parents. Therefore need all the information about how I can adopt the child? What will be the process? Will hiring a lawyer be required? Costs involved? And any other relevant info. Thanks.
 

xeenz

Junior Member
Dear Silverplum,

The required information is about US Law Only. My fiancee's daughter is a US CITIZEN and the adoption would have to be filed in US. I wrote this,
"I am a Pakistani Citizen and have no plans of moving to US."
because I wanted to know if it is possible to file for adoption from Pakistan or would it be necessary for us to go to US. Visiting US would require additional expenses and if we can file from Pakistan and are not required to visit US, we can save those extra expenses. Thanks.
 

Silverplum

Senior Member
Dear Silverplum,

The required information is about US Law Only. My fiancee's daughter is a US CITIZEN and the adoption would have to be filed in US. I wrote this,
"I am a Pakistani Citizen and have no plans of moving to US."
because I wanted to know if it is possible to file for adoption from Pakistan or would it be necessary for us to go to US. Visiting US would require additional expenses and if we can file from Pakistan and are not required to visit US, we can save those extra expenses. Thanks.
Maybe someone else on these boards knows how to help with an adoption from the US to Pakistan, but I sure don't know. The poster nextwife is our adoption expert, and has adopted from another country to the US. You should search her posts here in the Adoption forum: she's extremely knowledgeable and you can glean a lot from her info.

You'd need an attorney, regardless. This is never, ever a do-it-yourself type of project.
 

Ohiogal

Queen Bee
Maybe someone else on these boards knows how to help with an adoption from the US to Pakistan, but I sure don't know. The poster nextwife is our adoption expert, and has adopted from another country to the US. You should search her posts here in the Adoption forum: she's extremely knowledgeable and you can glean a lot from her info.

You'd need an attorney, regardless. This is never, ever a do-it-yourself type of project.
Actually the adoption would NOT be done in the US unless the child is a US resident. If mom has taken the child to Pakistan and resides legally in Pakistan with the child (who might also be a Pakistani citizen depending since mom was a citizen of Pakistan) then US law does NOT apply especially since daddy is deceased.
 

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