Adopting Boyfriend's daughter

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Indiana
Good morning! My name is Carol and I am a deployed U.S. soldier in Afghanistan. I will be home in two months and I want to start adopting my boyfriend's six year old daughter. We been raising her for the past five years and I am the only mother she knows. The bioligical mother do not have any parental rights over the child. My boyfriend agree for me to adopt her so I will have legal rights over her. I don't want to take away my boyfriends parental rights over the child. What I'm saying is that I just want to have some legal right when it comes to her. I need advice on how to go about doing this. What kind of paperworks I need to do? What is my first step? Need advice and help! Thank you!

It won't happen in Indiana. You must be married to the father in this state for a period of one year. You say the mother does not have parental rights. Are you sure of this? Or does he just have sole custody and she have no visitation... there is a difference. Did the state take her rights away or did they again, just not grant her visitation or whatever? At any rate again, you must be married for a period of one year and even then depending on the situation with bio-mom she will more then likely have to be contacted.

sweetcara said:

What is my first step?

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The first step is getting married.