Q: My 16-year-old daughter wants to be adopted by her stepdad (my husband)
My 16-year-old daughter wants to be adopted by her stepdad (my husband). Her birth father has not paid child support since early 2020, has not seen her since mid-2020 (June or July) and has not contacted her since end of 2020 (December). I have attempted to contact him with no luck in getting responses since Feb of 2021. Even with that I have a feeling it would be contested, and I am trying to find out what I can do to try and make my daughter's want to happen. I just want to know if I should contact him to see if he would contest it? Its been a pain to find a lawyer who will help as most I have called will only assist with it if its not contested.
A: You can contact the father to see if he will sign paperwork to consent to the adoption. You can also file to terminate his parental rights so the child can be adopted. I would seek an attorney who can assist you, as there are some who dedicate a part of their practice to the field of adoption.
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