How can my husband adopt his stepson?

My husband wants to adopt his stepson. How do we do that?

The steps for an adoption begin with the 1. preparation of an Affidavit of Relinquishment of Parental Rights by the natural father of the child, 2. filing a Petition for Termination and Adoption, 3. mailing off the fingerprints for a criminal history report from Austin, Texas, 4. getting with the social worker for the preparation of a social study for the Judge, 5. going to the adoption hearing before the Judge.

The social worker makes an appointment with you and your family, takes a look around, asks some questions, and will have a list of things for you to get together. The social worker will be interested in seeing that each child has a bed, toys, clothes, and that someone has a steady job. The social worker will be interested in the health of the children and the adoptive parent. The social worker will want to hear that your marriage is stable. The visit is usually a low key interview at your house and should go well.

To start the process, get together the names, addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and social security numbers of the adoptive father, the mother, the natural father, and the child to be adopted. Come to the lawyer's office with the list of names and numbers (and your checkbook ) and talk about the adoption.

The process should take several months, but problems can arise, usually with locating the father and getting the Affidavit of Termination signed with two witnesses and a notary public. Having everything lined up and ready to go saves time, money, and keeps things going smoothly.

An adoption is a wonderful thing, and is the one case Judges look forward to hearing. An adoption is the only case the Judge will hear that puts a family together and is a legal expression of love for one another. Get things in order, and the Judge will be happy to hear your adoption case.

George Conner
web page: www.georgeconnerlaw.com
email: connerlaw@yahoo.com