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Stepparent adoption, uninvolved biological father

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DaSavedSinner

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Missouri/Illinois .

My wife and I are looking for information on me legally adopting (or at least changing name of) our daughter. She has her mother's maiden name and her father was never in the picture (or on birth certificate) due to being incarcerated and added to sex offenders registry as a result of statutory charges. My wife and I have been married for 5 years now and many times our daughter asks when she can have my last name too. Approximately what costs and hassle would be involved in adopting her or at least changing her last name? I labeled this as Missouri/Illinois since we married and live in Missouri but they are both born in Illinois as well as the biological father being in Illinois. They have lived in Missouri for 7 years now. Thank you in advance for any help.
 


Proserpina

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Missouri/Illinois .

My wife and I are looking for information on me legally adopting (or at least changing name of) our daughter. She has her mother's maiden name and her father was never in the picture (or on birth certificate) due to being incarcerated and added to sex offenders registry as a result of statutory charges. My wife and I have been married for 5 years now and many times our daughter asks when she can have my last name too. Approximately what costs and hassle would be involved in adopting her or at least changing her last name? I labeled this as Missouri/Illinois since we married and live in Missouri but they are both born in Illinois as well as the biological father being in Illinois. They have lived in Missouri for 7 years now. Thank you in advance for any help.
Depends on what needs to happen.

For Missouri: http://www.mobar.org/uploadedFiles/Home/Publications/Legal_Resources/Brochures_and_Booklets/Family_Law_Conference/Adoption.pdf

If it's Illinois (which I doubt), and if paternity has not been established the alleged father must be on the Putative Fathers Registry if he wishes to object to an adoption. If he isn't listed, he's generally waived his standing to object.

Either way, you'll need an attorney - see one asap.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
It would be easier and faster to simply change your last name to match hers.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
It would be easier and faster to simply change your last name to match hers.
This is one case where it might not be that difficult to do a stepparent adoption, and a last name change would be easy if the child has only one legal parent.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
This is one case where it might not be that difficult to do a stepparent adoption, and a last name change would be easy if the child has only one legal parent.
The OP seems to be only concerned with the last name being the same.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
The OP seems to be only concerned with the last name being the same.
Yeah...and your ridiculous suggestion to change the adults last names to match the child's...as always. Sometimes I not only get the snark of why you make that suggestion but even agree with it. However when the child has no legal father its just snark for the sake of snark...and both useless and gratuitous.
 

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