step parent adoption

[kellzabellz]

Hi, my name is Kelly, and I have been married to my husband for 5 years. He is wanting to adopt my older daughters (age 12 and 8). The biological father is not in the picture and has not been since right before I found out I was pregnant with my 8 year old. I would love to be able to easily fill out some paperwork and get the adoption taken care of, instead of spending a couple thousand dollars in attorney fees, and then we could use it as a celebratory vacation. We live in Indiana, and the bio-parent is in Oregon. He currently owes $30k in back support and I know he would be more than willing to sign his parental rights away (as he has informed me in an email). What steps would I need to go through to get this done?

Thanks!

 

[Proserpina]

Hi, my name is Kelly, and I have been married to my husband for 5 years. He is wanting to adopt my older daughters (age 12 and 8). The biological father is not in the picture and has not been since right before I found out I was pregnant with my 8 year old. I would love to be able to easily fill out some paperwork and get the adoption taken care of, instead of spending a couple thousand dollars in attorney fees, and then we could use it as a celebratory vacation. We live in Indiana, and the bio-parent is in Oregon. He currently owes $30k in back support and I know he would be more than willing to sign his parental rights away (as he has informed me in an email). What steps would I need to go through to get this done?

Thanks!

Standard answer: Don't cut corners; get an attorney on board even if it's just to get the petition in order.

Seriously Kelly, adoption is rarely a DIY project and when it is it's because at least one party actually knows - be it through education or experience - what they're doing.

Spend the money already.

 

[Just Blue]

Hi, my name is Kelly, and I have been married to my husband for 5 years. He is wanting to adopt my older daughters (age 12 and 8). The biological father is not in the picture and has not been since right before I found out I was pregnant with my 8 year old. I would love to be able to easily fill out some paperwork and get the adoption taken care of, instead of spending a couple thousand dollars in attorney fees, and then we could use it as a celebratory vacation. We live in Indiana, and the bio-parent is in Oregon. He currently owes $30k in back support and I know he would be more than willing to sign his parental rights away (as he has informed me in an email). What steps would I need to go through to get this done?

Thanks!

Despite the fact you would "love to be able" to save the necessary funds making the adoption legal...you should spend said money and put off the "celebratory vacation".

 

[ecmst12]

Also your ex might not be so eager once he finds out he will still owe the arrears. It's not legal to sell your child by agreeing to waive arrears in exchange for agreeing to terminate his rights.

 

[LdiJ]

Also your ex might not be so eager once he finds out he will still owe the arrears. It's not legal to sell your child by agreeing to waive arrears in exchange for agreeing to terminate his rights.

That is not really accurate. Forgiveness of arrears is a fairly common thing in stepparent adoptions. However its certainly not automatic and its certainly true that they would still be owed if they are not forgiven.

 

[Ohiogal]

That is not really accurate. Forgiveness of arrears is a fairly common thing in stepparent adoptions. However its certainly not automatic and its certainly true that they would still be owed if they are not forgiven.

Many courts will not allow arrears to be forgiven ... there is a discussion on another legal forum about this same thing.

 

[LdiJ]

Many courts will not allow arrears to be forgiven ... there is a discussion on another legal forum about this same thing.

I am aware of that discussion. I am also aware that some judges will not allow it to happen. I am also aware that it cannot happen at all if the arrears are owed to the state.

However, to say that something is illegal when it does happen fairly often is not quite accurate.

 

[Ohiogal]

I am aware of that discussion. I am also aware that some judges will not allow it to happen. I am also aware that it cannot happen at all if the arrears are owed to the state.

However, to say that something is illegal when it does happen fairly often is not quite accurate.

I concur. I just wanted to clarify that. Hence why OP needs an attorney in order to make sure that this is done completely legally.

 

[Just Blue]

Huh...

Some troll posted on this 2 1/2 old thread. I reported it.

As an aside this is the 3 time I posted this.