For the last 5 months I've been debating over whether my husband and I should process the Step-parent adoption ourselves or wait another year (so we can raise the money) and higher a lawyer.
I've been to several sites online that will give youthe forms you need to do the whole thing ourselves but we're worried that if we do it this way we may have problems later on.
See, my daughter's assumed BF has been in and out of her life since she was born 2 1/2 years ago. We were in a bad relationship so I got out. He wasn't there for the pregnancy or the birth and I'm really not positive that he's even her BF. There is no one listed on her birth certificate and I don't know how to reach my ex. Since I'm not not positive he is the father and he's not listed as her father can I file this myself and just use the father unknown option? My husband and I are cautious about doing this because if later my ex decides to come back and reek havok on our family by trying to get rights to her all of the sudden then would he have a leg to stand on or are my husbands parental rights set in stone once the whole thing is processed?
Would we be more "protected" if we had a lawyer do it? Should we play it safe and include the "presumed father" on the paperwork and do the publication for his notice that my daughter's being adopted? If I say the father is unknown can he fight his way into partenal rights afterward? Should I just go pay a lawyer a lot of money? Would that really even protect me any more than doing it myself?
I'm sorry to have so many questions but if any one outthere could answer any of them (even just one!!) it'd really help me sleep better!
Thanks in advance,
Gina