CJane
Senior Member
Hubby and I are in the beginning stages of a step-parent adoption of my 12 year old son. We've completed the packet our state provides for an uncontested adoption, and we're hoping that my son's father will sign the appropriate paperwork once it's served to him.
We're in Washington, Father is in Missouri, and I'm looking for advice from anyone who has handled an adoption across state lines.
Our courthouse actually offers quite a bit of assistance in making sure the paperwork is all filled out correctly, scheduling hearings, etc. My questions are more related to the "what happens after"...
I will walk out of the courthouse with an order to change my child's birth certificate. I assume I simply contact vital records (the health department in MO) and ask them how best to provide them with the order?
How do I end child support? Send a copy of the final order for termination to DSS?
We're letting my son decide whether he wants to change his name, and what he wants to change it to. If he elects to keep his current last name (his father's last name) as part of his middle name, can his father attempt to prevent that? Or does he lose the right to have input prior to the name change?
Washington is SO user friendly, there doesn't seem to be any reason to hire an attorney here to handle this, unless Father won't sign off on paperwork. But I'm wondering if I should hire an attorney in Missouri to handle all of the issues after adoption. Thoughts on that?
We're in Washington, Father is in Missouri, and I'm looking for advice from anyone who has handled an adoption across state lines.
Our courthouse actually offers quite a bit of assistance in making sure the paperwork is all filled out correctly, scheduling hearings, etc. My questions are more related to the "what happens after"...
I will walk out of the courthouse with an order to change my child's birth certificate. I assume I simply contact vital records (the health department in MO) and ask them how best to provide them with the order?
How do I end child support? Send a copy of the final order for termination to DSS?
We're letting my son decide whether he wants to change his name, and what he wants to change it to. If he elects to keep his current last name (his father's last name) as part of his middle name, can his father attempt to prevent that? Or does he lose the right to have input prior to the name change?
Washington is SO user friendly, there doesn't seem to be any reason to hire an attorney here to handle this, unless Father won't sign off on paperwork. But I'm wondering if I should hire an attorney in Missouri to handle all of the issues after adoption. Thoughts on that?
