Q: What steps do I need to take to adopt my nephew? Do we have to go to court if the parents are willing?
My sister realized the she isn’t financially fit to take care of a child also she doesn’t have the best living situation so she reached out to me and my wife to see if we were willing to take her unborn child when she gives birth. After a long talk with her and her boyfriend we all decided this was the best course of action but I want to take the right steps with the right paperwork.
A: The parents' parental rights will have to be terminated and an adoption petition filed. Your county may have guidance available online for completing this process which is somewhat complicated. I'd suggest that you retain an attorney to shepherd this through the system for you but, if you don't want to do that and there aren't sufficient forms online, then you'll have to hit the law library. Beware of online services that you pay to obtain for the forms - they're almost always generic and usually unacceptable to any specific jurisdiction.
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