[NitazNest]

I'm new to this site, so please bear with me.
My oldest child wants her stepfather to adopt her, and we have been trying to contact her dad and get his consent. He has made no effort to communicate with her, or me, in almost a year. The last contact we had at all with him was when her stepfather called him to find out when to drop her off at her dad's for a visit. The visit didn't happen, and her dad was supposed to call us as soon as he was ready for us to bring her to visit him in NC. We are in SC.
Since then, her dad was imprisoned for probation violation, but was released just before Christmas. He finally caught up his childsupport. The court had filed a warrant of arrest for failure to appear in family court (show just cause for child support) just before he went to prison in August. He had every opportunity to tell us of his situation, but he chose to keep quiet about it. It was her half-sister who let us know his situation.
I have written him two letters asking for his permission to let the adoption take place, the second with a signed delivery confirmation receipt. It's his "John Hancock" on the line, so I know he received the second letter. He probably received the first one, but has decided to ignore the request.
I'm ready to see a lawyer about this, but wanted to know if I can find a lawyer here in South Carolina, or will I have to get one in North Carolina, where my ex-husband lives?
Is there a site where I can find precidents of adoptions despite the unwillingness of a parent in North Carolina or South Carolina?
Thanks for any help you can offer to me.
Juanita

[kayleedoo]

I know this is an old post, but i was just wandering around....

In case you haven't gotten any answers, I just wanted to tell you that as long as there hasn't been a case filed about the adoption (child support would be seperate case, so that doesn't matter where that is filed) you can file for it in SC and he would have to go to court in SC. it doesn't matter where he lives. my ex is in Massachusetts, and we live in SC, we filed for the adoption here. but since the child support, etc was filed in Mass, they still have to be dealt with there.

if you hire a lawyer, they still have to send him another request to voluntarily give up his rights, if he doesn't respond at all, it will be a contested adoption (as if he disagreed to it- even with no response at all) there are still other ways it can happen like they might be able to have the courts terminate his rights if he has alot of back child support, or they can prove abandonment.

[NitazNest]

Thank you for your reply.

We have finally had contact with her dad and he has agreed to allow her stepfather to adopt her. He had held out calling me about her adoption as punishment. Someone in the Jail system had told him that I had to have been on top of the clerk's office for them to have been waiting on him at his release date. He owed almost a year of support, and as soon as he was released he was arrested for failure to appear (a warrant that had been issued prior to his being imprisoned for an unrelated offense). I was not "on top of the clerk's office." But was happy to hear they were doing their job, exceptionally well.

On one hand I am thrilled that this is happening for her, and then I'm also saddened that her dad is actually willing to do this; if that makes any sense. However, the joy overwhelms the sadness. Her stepdad is a wonderful man, and she already introduces him to her friends as "Dad."

We have our first meeting with an attorney tomorrow morning. Her dad is on intensive probation in North Carolina, so I am now wondering how he is going to get here to SC for a court date.

Thank you again for your information.
Juanita