What is the name of your state? TX
Hi. My husband Ben and I have been married for 3 1/2 years, but together for almost 8. I have a daughter who is 10 yrs old and he is not the biological father of her. He wants to legally adopt her which we would all love to happen.
Here's the drama - her biological father has a court order where is is named the father, is ordered to pay child support and has "supervised visitations." He has only exercised his visitation when the order was first written. He hasn't seen her since she was about 3, and has pretty much "abandoned" her. As far as child support, he had wages garnished a few times but hasn't held a job long enough to get support, and he currently is in arrears for almost $16,000.00. His last payment was in August of 2004. The other thing is I know he left the state and is in Illinois.
With all that being said, shouldn't we be able to get a judge to terminate his rights based on all the proof of abandonment (non payment for over 3 yrs now and no contact for over 7 yrs) without having to pay to locate him and get him into court? He is a jerk and would sooner fight me on something just out of spite than do what is right knowing he can not provide for her.
I have had a lawyer tell me I would have to pay her almost $3-5,000 for the fees for termination and adoption plus pay for an ad litem and possibly an investigator to locate him. Can't I just initially put a legal notice in the paper to him and leave it at that? I want this done as painless as possible. Any advice on getting this done quickly and inexpensively???? I'm desperate to finally do this for our family. THANKS!!!!
Brandy, in Texas
Hi. My husband Ben and I have been married for 3 1/2 years, but together for almost 8. I have a daughter who is 10 yrs old and he is not the biological father of her. He wants to legally adopt her which we would all love to happen.
Here's the drama - her biological father has a court order where is is named the father, is ordered to pay child support and has "supervised visitations." He has only exercised his visitation when the order was first written. He hasn't seen her since she was about 3, and has pretty much "abandoned" her. As far as child support, he had wages garnished a few times but hasn't held a job long enough to get support, and he currently is in arrears for almost $16,000.00. His last payment was in August of 2004. The other thing is I know he left the state and is in Illinois.
With all that being said, shouldn't we be able to get a judge to terminate his rights based on all the proof of abandonment (non payment for over 3 yrs now and no contact for over 7 yrs) without having to pay to locate him and get him into court? He is a jerk and would sooner fight me on something just out of spite than do what is right knowing he can not provide for her.
I have had a lawyer tell me I would have to pay her almost $3-5,000 for the fees for termination and adoption plus pay for an ad litem and possibly an investigator to locate him. Can't I just initially put a legal notice in the paper to him and leave it at that? I want this done as painless as possible. Any advice on getting this done quickly and inexpensively???? I'm desperate to finally do this for our family. THANKS!!!!
Brandy, in Texas