soon to be married wants custody

[voodoodoll]

I have custody of my daughter and my boyfriend wants to adopt her once we are married. Her biological father has never seen her and paid child support only three times in the past year and a half. It was not big sums. My boyfriend has been taking care of her since she was nine months old. Finacialy, emotionaly and physicaly. She calls him dad and we want it to stay that way. Is there any posibility to getting the non coustodial parents rights taken away after we are married? I live in texas.

 

[Ginger]

Mass. You will need to see a lawyer on that one. If you can prove he hasn't seen her for an extended time and hasn't upheld his child support obligation (by the way, was he court ordered to pay child support?) then you may have grounds of abandonment. Only a lawyer can help you. You are very fortunate to have a man who is willing to adopt your child as his own. God bless him and you. Good luck .

 

[voodoodoll]

yes everything went through the courts. we went for paternity the for visitiations and support. That was febuary of 2000 when everything was established by the courts. He has never seen her. The visitations where to be supervised by the courts but he never visited. He has not paid child support since Aug of 2000. He has paid three times since feb of 2000 and they where not the amount that he is supposed to pay. I was always under the amount. She is almost two and he has never called nor visited. thank you for your advice and god bless you too!

 

[morning_angel]

Have you considered contacting the father of the child and ASKING him if he would be willing to terminate his rights? Maybe tell him that he is $XXX in arrears in support, has never exercised his visitation rights and taking that into consideration, would he be willing to terminate parental rights?