Boyfriend adopting my son?

Question

hi, my boyfriend are planning on getting married soon. when we do, he wants to also adopt my son. we talked it over with my son, and he said yes. does anybody know how long it will take? and his real father is no where to be seen. have not seen or heard from him since my son was 1 month old. (my son has called my boyfriend dad for the last 5 years.

Answer 1

My cousin adopted his wife's son and It took around 6 months. His dad wasn't around since he was 1 month old hes almost 6. So the court ran an aid in the newspaper for a month or two to get him to respond and he failed to do so. They took his rights on abandonment. It might cost a little bit though.

Answer 2

my dad adopted me when i was ten. there was no male listed on my birth certificate so that made the legal aspects of the adoption a formality. it took probably a couple of months to get the paperwork done and set a court date, etc. but if your situation is different, it may take a little longer, but if it will not bo contested by the birth father, then it should go by fairly quickly and easily. best of luck with marriage and adoption.. btw... your soo to be husband is a great man, it takes a huge hearted person to accept and care for a child that is not his own... but they will (as my dad and i have) become more important to each other because they know that the other didnt have to love and care for the them. best of luck!

Answer 3

First off thats wonderful that your son and him have such a strong bond :) I have two boys and am the step mother of 2 little guys whom i love just as much as my own :) My two boys also know my now hubby as daddy :) the process isnt as easy as you would like to think though!! Its still a tough road to travel. Either way you will need to hire a lawyer. Which isnt cheap! IF the father is on the birth certificate, he will need to sign over his rights OR you will have to prove him to be unfit. Laws vary by state and not having contact with your son since being a month old. Is usually enough of a reason. Depends on where you live :) IF he is not on the birth certificate it might be as simple as putting your hubbys name on the birth certificate. That claims paternity. Either way like i said you will need a lawyer. start there :) Goodluck and congrats!!!

Answer 4

That's a great  man to stand in and be there for your son. You are very lucky and so is he.

Adoption can take from a few months to a few years.

Obviously, there are intangible benefits to a step-parent adoption: the completion of the “family unit”, the feeling on the part of the child that he or she “belongs”, and the gratification of the adopting parent in knowing that he or she has not only made a commitment to their spouse, but also to the child.

However, adoption also involves the termination and creation of legal rights and obligations on the part of the child and the parent. The parental rights of the non-custodial birth parent are terminated in the step-parent adoption process. This means that his or her right to parenting time (visitation) and also his or her obligation to support the child are extinguished.

A step-parent adoption will involve a request (Petition) on the part of the step-parent who is married to the custodial birth parent of the child. The spouse, while not a party to the proceedings, will be required to file his or her consent to the adoption. In addition, the child to be adopted, if over the age of 12, will also be required to indicate his or her consent to the adoption by the step-parent. Finally, and possibly most importantly, the rights of the birth parent who does not have custodial rights to the child will be terminated in order to make the child available for adoption by the step-parent.

If the birth parent whose rights are sought to be terminated agrees to consent to the step-parent adoption, he or she will file it with the Court. If he or she does not consent, the laws in Colorado require that a showing be made that it is in the best interests for that parent’s rights to be terminated, by providing an affidavit indicating that the other birth parent has abandoned the child for a period of one year or more or that the other birth parent has failed without cause to provide reasonable support for such child for a period of one year or more.

The Court must make the finding that the step-parent seeking to adopt the child is a fit and proper person to do so, and will take testimony from both parents, and the child if he or she is over the age of 12, prior to granting the Decree of adoption. Generally, the hearing, if uncontested, takes on a celebratory tone, as the court recognizes that it is assisting in the creation of a new family, certainly a reason for jubilation.

Good luck and God bless

Answer 5

Here at least, if the birth father's name is on the birth certificate he either has to be dead or sign away his rights for another man to legally adopt the child.

If rights and birth certificates are not an issue, you can file the paperwork when you submit your wedding papers.

Good Luck!