[wishing_n_praying]

My husband and I have been offered a private adoption situation by the birth mother, however it is unclear whether the father will contest or not. I am in one state, but adopting from a neighboring state. I have been told that the father does not have to consent because he has not provided any support to the mother, and in fact has not even made contact with the mother since learning she was pregnant. His mother, however, has stated that she wants this baby and that he will never sign away his rights. The birth mother feels that he will take this to court, but she has not spoken to him personally about the reasons for her decision. She says that she is willing to go to court and fight for us to get this baby, but I am really scared of getting to that point. How can we, as strangers, possibly win against a birth father if this actually goes to court? The lawyer I spoke to advised me that this situation may bring a lot of heartache. I want this more than anything in the world, but is it a God-given opportunity or a no-win situation? I asked the birth mother to speak to the father personally and rationally explain her decision to him. I am still waiting to see if anything will come from that. I'm sorry my post is so long; I just am so confused at this point. I need some direction.

P.S. Did I mention that the baby is due in a month?