Q: I have permanent custody of my grandson and would like to adopt him. His therapist suggested adoption due to his emotion
His therapist suggested adoption due to his emotional health when visiting with the father and other grandmother. My daughter has signed her rights away already. What would be the first step towards adoption, he is 7 yrs old.
A:
In Arkansas, if the parents of the child go more than one year without a stable relationship with the child OR go one year without paying significant support OR their rights have been removed, you should be able to adopt.
We need to have the documents where the mother lost her rights.
Need to know about the father. There are procedures to locate the father and get his consent. If he will not consent we will notify him of the court date and seek child support. Most fathers sign.
If the father is unknown there are some procedures to prove there is no father. Sometimes people just say the father is unknown. It is better to locate him. If he finds out about the adoption, he or more-likely his parents will attempt to undo the adoption and get the child for himself. It DOES happen. It's always better to notify the father.
The law is on your side though.
Fees are between $3500 and $5500 or so. Contact one of the Arkansas lawyers on this website. You have a great case. Good luck.
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
