STEP PARENT ADOPTION OF ABADONED CHILD

OK. I WAS WITH A GUY FOR 3 1/2 YEARS AND WE HAD A CHILD OUT OF WEDLOCK. HE SIGNED MY DAUGHTER'S BC AND CONSENT OF PATERNITY PAPERS. I DON'T THINK HE'S MY DAUGHTER'S BIOLOGICAL FATHER. I HAD A ONE NIGHT STAND/DATE RAPE SITUATION WITH A GUY WHO I THINK ACTUALLY FATHERED MY DAUGHTER, BUT I HAVE NO CLUE WHERE HE IS OR HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM. I AM NOW MARRIED AND MY HUSBAND WANTS TO ADOPT MY DAUGHTER. THE GUY WHO SIGNED THE PATERNITY PAPERS WON'T RELENQUISH HIS PARENTAL RIGHTS, BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY DAUGHTER. WHAT CAN I DO??

[LegalBeagle]

I presume there is a court order in place for Child Support ?? and that he is current and paying on time ??

NO. THERE IS NO CHILD SUPPORT ORDER, SO HE NEVER HAD TO PAY. THE COURTS COULD NOT LOCATE HIM TO ENFORCE CHILD SUPPORT.
(BY THE WAY, THANKS FOR THE SPEEDY RESPONSE!)

[LegalBeagle]

Courts do not have to find him. You advertise the court case in the papers for 4 weeks and then proceed without him. That way there is an order in place waiting for him.

Anyway, that is history. Since you now know where he is, you can now apply for CS support. There is a chance you can force the adoption but most times it just provokes the absent parent to take an interest and then demand visitation. That is a headache you do not need.

Since he is unlikely to pay CS, get the court order in place NOW.

Did he give a reason why he does not want to give up parental rights ? Does he know that he might not be the father ?? A petition for 15 years of child support and planting the seed that the child might not even be his might be all you need to get his sig.


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Psst.. I am not an attorney, and even if I was, I would not tell you. What I am giving you is not legal advice in anyway. For proper legal advice, retain a person who openly admits they are an attorney.