Adoption

[beckyphelps]

My husband would like to adopt my 11 year old daughter. I was never married to my daughter's father and there is no contact between them. How do i go about the adoption process?

[tanyalee]

I looked into this a while ago, it can be done but i think the courts will want to try and make contact with your daughter's father - to seek his opinion on the matter. The only problem with this whole situation is that you would also become your daughter's adopted parent - bizarre I know! I thought it was all abit weird myself. Perhaps the CAB can give more info.

[Goodsoulette]

This is true! The courts like to be satisfied that it is in the childs best interest and may ask you to look into other possibilities such as parental responsibility or a residence order for your husband.

I have a similar situation with my first son but me and my partner are not married and therfore cannot adopt, but quite frankly i do not want to adopt my own son. With parental responsibilty there is no risk of your daughters natural father looking objecting to this, and you wont have to seek out his permission, risking a regained interest. Funnily enough courts are often aware that contacting a natural father can cause this and they dont like running the risk of disrupting a childs life when the father f***s off for a second time.

[Goodsoulette]

Also I contacted the cab and they were useless, I think social services aor unfortunately a very expensive family law solicitor could help you better.

[lyndunnpoet]

YOUR CHILD CAN NOT BE ADOPTED WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF HER FATHER. When and if your partner can adopt you will for 24 hours have to abandon your daughter so she is legally an orphan. Then the very next morning you then sign to adopt her. Its bloody stupid but true. Go to a solicitor they are brill on things like this. But be prepared this is a very long and drawn out process.

[Goodsoulette]

yes you can. if the father is not on the birth certificate and you can prove that you have or the best has been done to get permission and the courts are satisfied you can adopt without the fathers permission. In some cases the courts will not aproach the father as they feel it would be in the childs best interest. I know as we are goin thru this ourselves.