Getting What Is Rightfully Yours

Challenges Of Adopting Your Step Child

7 June 2017

Estelle Mathieu

After getting married to a woman that has a child, you may be thinking of adopting that child and raising them as your own. This can be a great idea and a wonderful gift to give a child, but it is not always as easy as you might think. There are times when it is easier than others, but there are also times when there are some challenges you might encounter. Here are some things you should know about if this is something you are seriously considering.

It Will Be Much Easier If The Biological Father Is Not Involved

One of the biggest challenges of adopting a child is getting the biological father to agree to it. A biological father has rights to his child; however, there are many biological fathers that do not exercise their rights. If the biological father is not involved at all, he might be more than happy to sign papers that relinquish his rights to the child. If you can get this to happen, the adoption process will be a lot easier.

You should understand that there might be more steps involved with this if the mother of the child is not certain who the biological father is. In these cases, the mother may have to go through a series of steps to try to determine who the father is, and this might involve completing paternity tests. Most states require mothers to follow certain procedures in these cases, simply because fathers have rights.

If The Father Is Involved, It May Be Impossible

You should understand that there are times when adopting your step child is simply not an option. The primary reason this can occur is when a biological father is involved in the child's life. If this child's father supports the child or visits the child, he might not be willing to give up his rights to the child. In this case, you would not be able to adopt the child because the child already has a father.

It's also important to realize that you might still have a chance of adopting the child even if the father is somewhat involved. For example, if the father is paying child support but never sees the child, this might open up a door to prove abandonment. Most courts take this charge very seriously, though. In other words, you will need a lot of proof that the biological father is not fit or that he has abandoned the child, in order to have the chance of adopting the child.

You May Need To Complete A Home Study

The other thing you should realize is that the process of adoption can be time-consuming and expensive, and it can require a lot of steps. One step that is typically completed is called a home study. A home study is used to find out the dynamics of a home, such as the way it operates and whether it is a good environment for the child. The home study may also require getting a background check. If you have a criminal record of any kind, you may run into challenges with that, too.

Courts want to make sure that they are looking out for the best interests of the child in question, and they will take as many steps as they need to for this. If the home study or background check reveals anything that is questionable, you might have trouble getting the court to approve the adoption.

There are a lot of challenges with almost any type of adoption, but you might find that it is easier to do if you hire a good family attorney that has experience with adoption law. To learn more about adoption law, contact a law firm like the Law Offices of Lynda Latta, LLC.

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