Get free answers to your Adoption legal questions from lawyers in your area.
I am adopting my wife's 5 year old. We already have a daughter together. Mom is the only one that's ever had rights. The biological father has signed over his rights, isn't on the birth certificate, and there is no custody agreement. Can we finish the Florida adoption with a new Texas address?
answered on Apr 4, 2022
Yes, you should be able to. You haven't indicated if you have an attorney representing you; if so ask the attorney. If not, contact the judge's judicial assistant about scheduling a hearing, perhaps on Zoom.
Bio mother is deceased. Bio dad allowed adoption to take place. I took custody of my non-bio granddaughter and then adopted her. Grandfather is becoming increasingly mentally unstable and has threatened court even though I allow him to see his granddaughter quite often. There may come a time when... View More 
answered on Feb 17, 2022
Pursuant to Florida law grandparents have no direct legal right to timesharing with a grandchild.
Stepparent adoption
answered on Feb 16, 2022
In Florida, an unwed mother has full rights to a child unless or until the father comes forward to assert his legal rights through paternity. That being said, you need to speak to a local adoption attorney for more specific advice as this can be a more complicated issue.
My child has been staying with an unrelated caregiver for a couple of years now. I wish to go pick the child up. No court documents have been filed and everything is still in my name. Can the person caring for the child retaliate in some way even though they have no legal rights to the child?
answered on Feb 14, 2022
This is a complicated legal issue that you should discuss directly with a local family/ adoption attorney. If they are living in a different state then that other state's laws may apply as well.
Fosters want to adopt 3siblings and stop all visitation. They are 9,7,7,6yrs old.. everything I read goes against cutting sibling ties, do I file contempt? Will the respondent be the foster agency or foster parents?
I have a 9 year old daughter that my boyfriend has been helping me raise since she was almost 2 years old. Her biological father hasn't really been present in her life for the past 4 years. He isn't on child support, he doesn't help provide for her, and rarely contacts her. Without... View More
answered on Nov 19, 2021
The biological father would need to cooperate and terminate his parental rights. You should consult with a local adoption attorney as this is possible but can be a complicated process.
answered on Oct 11, 2021
I am sorry for your loss on the passing of your mom, please accept my condolences. The answer to your questions is generally yes if you were named in a Will or Trust or if the estate was intestate (without a Will) then you can reference Florida Statute 732.108 (c) Adoption of a child by a close... View More
I will soon be having a baby through at home insemination Via sperm donor. Me and the sperm donor agreed to sign his Rights away. How do I go about this? And how do I get a contract. Also would that paper work hold up in court if it came down to it? I’m not familiar with Florida law bc I’m not... View More
answered on Oct 1, 2021
I'm amused by your description of old fashioned copulation. Whether an agreement to waive paternal rights may or may not hold up in court.
And, as to the paperwork being signed by a same-sex couple, I assume both partners are women, one of them being the birth mother and the other... View More
My ex is in prison he has been there for a few years and will remain there for many more years the children will be in their late teens/adults when he gets out. He was never really involved in their life beforehand and is all for terminating his rights and allowing my husband to adopt children! My... View More
answered on Jul 29, 2021
You should consult with an attorney to determine if a Step-Parent Adoption can be done in your case. If you and the biological Father are in agreement with your husband adopting the children, there should not be any major issues with the adoption process.
DISCLAIMER: The answer provided... View More
I had been raising my 6 1/2 grandson all his life. 100% by myself for the past 5 years with no help from his mother(my daughter) or his dad. 3 weeks ago his father showed up with his name finally on the B.C. & they also called DCF making outrageous false allegations concerning my 16yo son. The... View More
answered on Jul 29, 2021
You should consult with an attorney that can assist you after getting more information on your particular case. You could file a Petition for Temporary Custody by Extended Family in Family Court where a Judge will make a determination on whether or not it is in the child's best interest that... View More
Oldest child isnt biological the step parents kid. He has been going with his brothers since we split during timesharing with mom how to write that into paperwork without allowing him to be legally adopted his real mom abandoned him 11 years ago but is still on birth certificate I have paperwork... View More
answered on Jul 28, 2021
Permitting the step-parent timesharing wouldn't be causing the the person to legally adopt - an adoption process would need to be initiated. However, you may be entering into an agreement/contract to give a person rights they may not otherwise have. As such, I strongly suggest you schedule a... View More
I have a 6 1/2 yo grandson I have been caring for and supporting all his life. About 3 weeks ago his father showed up to my door with DCF and with his birth certificate. I was told I had to let him go with his father even though the child doesnt even know him. For the past 3 weeks I have been... View More
answered on Jul 28, 2021
In family court (sounds like paternity in your case) there are no provisions for grandparent visitation. The only way that you might be able to pursue this is through dependency court. Look for a family attorney who specializes in dependency in your area that might give you a free or low cost... View More
I am taking a trip to Puerto Rico. Is there an office in San Juan that i can obtain my original birth cert w/ my birth parents name on it?
answered on May 21, 2021
The Government of Puerto Rico has partnered with document provider VitalChek to provide an expedited method for ordering new birth certificates. To apply through this method please visit: www.vitalchek.com. Vital Check also offers a bilingual call center available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
I have my son adopted in November of court issues I'm trying to attain a copy of my son's birth certificate to show the IRS that I had my son for the first part of the year how do I go about doing that
answered on May 17, 2021
Contact the Bureau of Vital Statistics. They offer walk-in or mail-in services. To save time, download and complete the forms you need. The Bureau of Vital Statistics may be reached at (904) 359-6900, ext. 9000.
The father has not been in her life since she was 1, and has had no contact nor attempted to contact her. I understand that these kind of adoption can cost quite a bit, and given my wife's disability, we don't have that kind of extra money. So I'm asking if there are any pro bono... View More
answered on May 11, 2021
You can actually do this without an attorney if you are unable to locate a pro bono attorney. Here is the link to the forms from the Florida Courts website:... View More
answered on May 11, 2021
It is unclear what you are asking. If you can clarify your question, it may be possible that you will receive answers. Best of luck.
My ex petitioned the court for time sharing at the end of Jan/Feb 2020 (to avoid child support in my opinion) in March of 2020 my husband and I petitioned the court for TPR and Step Parent adoption (Ex hasn’t seen child in 5 years and the child is 6yrs old) In Aug 2020 our petition was granted... View More
answered on Mar 22, 2021
If the TPR and adoption have already been granted then you need to provide that final order to the court that is addressing the timesharing issue. You should speak with a local family lawyer to make sure that it is handled properly.
Is there any way to get the case brought to Fl? If so how? How do I know what lawyer to get? They are trying to adopt them and I want my babies back home asap!
answered on Mar 15, 2021
If the children have been out of Florida for less than six months, you would sue in Florida for custody. It is unclear what in-laws took them to Tennessee and are trying to adopt them; the parents of the children's other parent?
Could you please provide us with this information if possible?
answered on Mar 7, 2021
I'd love to provide you with a free consultation. Please contact my office at 863-937-9100 and my assistant will set up a time for us to talk. I look forward to it!
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.
