Step Daughter Adoption

[comfile]

I have been married to my wife for 3 years. We since have had a son together. My step daughter is about to start school and I want to adopt her. There is no father listed on her birth certificate. She has only know me as her father. What is the best way for us to procede?

We currently reside in Va.

 

[comfile]

Any answers?

I posted this a couple weeks ago and there are no reply's?

 

[bucklink]

My husband just adopted my daughter 8/8/01. Although our situations are different and I live in New York, I would say to find an attorney, you will need one no matter what anyhow. My question is... Has her bio-dad ever been involved? Ever paid child support? Ever contacted her? If he is not listed on the birth certificate and has never been involved, I wonder why you wouldn't be able to just list yourself as the dad and have the birth certificate ammended. ????

 

[comfile]

Thanks

We recently hired an attourney, the process will take about 90 days. The father is unknown and I have supported my step daughter since she was a couple months old.

 

[bucklink]

Good luck with everything! My husband and I were very nervous on what to expect with the whole process, however everyone that we had delt with were wonderful... the lawyers, social worker, and judge. It takes a good person to do what you are doing, and the judge and other people see that and will (hopefully) treat you with much respect. Good luck to you both...bucklink

 

[comfile]

Thank you

Thank you, best wishes to your family....

 

[deefran]

In response to comfile.... If you know where the BioDad lives your attorney can send him the necessary papers to sign over his paternal rights...if he fights it he will learn quickly that he has to back pay years of child support and may just let the adoption happen. If you don't know his whereabouts, your lawyer can have his rights terminated due to abandonment. In any case DO NOT say that your current husband is the child's father..because the biodad can then have the adoption absolved due to false statements, and you can get into A LOT of legal troubles and possibly lose custody of your child to her biodad.