my husband wants to adopt my daughter

[jennerbugg3]

What is the name of your state? New York

my husband has been helping me raise my daughter for the past 2 years. I have sole custody of her and would like my husband to adopt her or at least share custody. Her father has never been in her life, owes almost $2,000 in child support, has a criminal background and refuses to contact me. I haven't heard from him in almost 2 years and i'm in the process of violating him for support but keep running into problems w/ that. He refuses to sign his rights off to my daughter (his entire family is on my side and are trying to convince him to), but yet still doesn't have anything to do with her. Can i get him for abandonment and have his rights terminated? I can't find much on abandonments laws to help me. Her father is on the birth certificate. Our family court says they can't terminate his rights, he has to sign off. please help, i'm not sure what to do. can he at least share custody? what are the rights of step parents?

 

[penelope10]

What is the name of your state? New York

my husband has been helping me raise my daughter for the past 2 years. I have sole custody of her and would like my husband to adopt her or at least share custody. Her father has never been in her life, owes almost $2,000 in child support, has a criminal background and refuses to contact me. I haven't heard from him in almost 2 years and i'm in the process of violating him for support but keep running into problems w/ that. He refuses to sign his rights off to my daughter (his entire family is on my side and are trying to convince him to), but yet still doesn't have anything to do with her. Can i get him for abandonment and have his rights terminated? I can't find much on abandonments laws to help me. Her father is on the birth certificate. Our family court says they can't terminate his rights, he has to sign off. please help, i'm not sure what to do. can he at least share custody? what are the rights of step parents?

Step parents have no legal standing in regards to kiddos, so no custody cannot be shared with a Step.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state? New York

my husband has been helping me raise my daughter for the past 2 years. I have sole custody of her and would like my husband to adopt her or at least share custody. Her father has never been in her life, owes almost $2,000 in child support, has a criminal background and refuses to contact me. I haven't heard from him in almost 2 years and i'm in the process of violating him for support but keep running into problems w/ that. He refuses to sign his rights off to my daughter (his entire family is on my side and are trying to convince him to), but yet still doesn't have anything to do with her. Can i get him for abandonment and have his rights terminated? I can't find much on abandonments laws to help me. Her father is on the birth certificate. Our family court says they can't terminate his rights, he has to sign off. please help, i'm not sure what to do. can he at least share custody? what are the rights of step parents?

Get a consult with a local adoption attorney to understand what really has to happen in order for you to involuntarily terminate dad's parental rights.

Other than that, you have to understand that a stepparent adoption is never going to be a DIY project. It will always need an attorney involved and it will never be simple.