• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Child Support after adoption by stepparent

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

Maria1970

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

My husband has a daughter who is 23 who was estranged from him for most of her life. He divorced her mother when the child was 2, paid child support for a few years, then went into financial difficulty and was unable to pay. As a result, the ex forbade him visitation because he owed her child support. After some time, we did not know of her whereabouts and in short, my husband was in his daughter's life very little from the time she was 5 or so onward. Now the daughter is 23 and has made contact with him. We have found out that the ex's new husband, or the daughter's step father adopted her at some point. We were never contacted or notified about the mother's intention to terminate my husband's parental rights. My main question is can the ex wife still try to collect past due child support even when my husband's parental rights were terminated?
 


Gracie3787

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

My husband has a daughter who is 23 who was estranged from him for most of her life. He divorced her mother when the child was 2, paid child support for a few years, then went into financial difficulty and was unable to pay. As a result, the ex forbade him visitation because he owed her child support. After some time, we did not know of her whereabouts and in short, my husband was in his daughter's life very little from the time she was 5 or so onward. Now the daughter is 23 and has made contact with him. We have found out that the ex's new husband, or the daughter's step father adopted her at some point. We were never contacted or notified about the mother's intention to terminate my husband's parental rights. My main question is can the ex wife still try to collect past due child support even when my husband's parental rights were terminated?
Your husband should get a consult ASAP. He still owes arrears, but he MIGHT have a valid defense to some of the arrears, but it will take an attorney to be able to fight this.
He can get a low cost consult by calling the Florida Bar Lawyer referral service at 1-800-342-8011.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
Your husband should get a consult ASAP. He still owes arrears, but he MIGHT have a valid defense to some of the arrears, but it will take an attorney to be able to fight this.
He can get a low cost consult by calling the Florida Bar Lawyer referral service at 1-800-342-8011.
It certainly doesn't hurt him to consult with an attorney, but it doesn't sound like the girl's mother has initiated any collection efforts at this point. So he shouldn't retain one unless she actually does.
 

Gracie3787

Senior Member
It certainly doesn't hurt him to consult with an attorney, but it doesn't sound like the girl's mother has initiated any collection efforts at this point. So he shouldn't retain one unless she actually does.
Thanks, I should've added that, but I was in a hurry.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top