Adoption

[germanz]

My girlfriend has a child by someone to whom she never married. The father has never wanted to be involved with the child. My girlfriend and I will be getting married soon and I would like to adopt the child. Can I do this and can I do it without the real father interfering with the process? We are afraid that if we tell him about the adoption, he will cause trouble.

 

[MySonsMom]

In order for you to adopt this child, the bio Father has to relinguish his rights, or have them relinguieshed through the courts. I suggest getting an attorney and filing for the terminiation of his rights and for your adoption. Your chances are great. If the bio Father contests the adoption, mention to him that if he wants to keep his rights then he can back pay child support for the past so and so years and be a Father to the child. Maybe that will scare him enough to not fight it, and allow this child to have a normal and happy life without the interferance of an absent and unthoughtful parent. Good luck!

 

[germanz]

I really appreciate your advice. I think I will seek the help of an attorney to file for a termination of his rights.
Thank you very much.

 

[MySonsMom]

Your welcome. Good luck!

 

[lawrat]

I am a law school graduate. What I offer is mere information, not to be construed as forming an attorney client relationship.

If all else fails, one can try to get a family law attorney to go the route of abandonment. If it can be proven the father abandoned the child, then there is no parent child relationship. The court may then be able to have the child adopted by new dad in the best interests of the child.

This is very rare, but worth a shot if the usual routes are exhausted.