Schenectady, NY asked in Adoption, Child Custody and Family Law for New York

Q: Can I file a petition to have legal parental right to my boyfriends baby ?

I’m a 25 year old man. My boyfriend of 6 years, got someone else pregnant. This was 2 years ago. Since then we’ve all had numerous discussions to reconcile and think of next steps. I’ve been in this baby’s life since before day one. And we all productively raise this baby together. There are no court orders currently assigning anyone parent legal or physical custody. However I’m the primary financial person in this scenario, and my boyfriend and I have him Thursday through Sunday. A discussion arose as to what would happen if my boyfriend and our baby’s mother were to pass( hypothetically)- where would the baby go? Because I’m not biologically related to him , I fear I’d have no rights. My boyfriend works away a lot and honestly, I’m the only father our child knows. Is there a way for a baby to have 3 parents ? How would I accomplish this ? ; since both parents are in agreement that we should have everything split in 3 ways. Please help .

Thank you,

Juju’s daddy.

2 Lawyer Answers

A: In NY you can

A: To do this, you would have to file a custody petition in family court. When the case is heard, you can all agree to joint custody with parenting time as you agree.

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