[dkdare]

We are interested in adopting my husbands step cousins daughter. We are related by marriage, not blood. Do we qualify as relatives?
Also, we live in Alaska she lives in Oregon, what would be the fastest way to get his little girl in to our home? She's already 4 and has lived with relatives for 3 of those years. Her mother lost all rights to her, her Aunt has custody of her now.

Thank You,
K. Dare

[dkdare]

Just to clarify how my husband is related... When my husband was 8 his dad married his step "Mom" & they had to kids together. They were married for 8 yrs. It's his now X-step Moms niece that is the mother of the little girl. So, its not like we are distant relatives, my husband grew up with the mother of the litte girl. My husband has two half sisters from his X-step "Mom".

Also, the mother lost all rights to her daughter when she was sent to jail for several years.

K. Dare

[Lynard1210]

Good morning. It looks like nobody replied to your question. I'll do my best in helping. In my state (Ohio), a relationship by marriage would not qualify as a "relative" for purposes of a relative adoption. I believe nieces, nephews and cousins are not considered immediate. My guess is you will have to go the traditional route to adopt this child like any other non-related adopted parents. Check with the Court in your county for their Local Rules for more specifics. In my county, all the forms are postd on the Court website. Of course, using an adoption attorney is always the best option, but some of us (like myself) cannot afford one, so I'm giving it a shot pro se. (I'm adopting my step-daughter's baby). Hope this helps!

Good luck!

Lynn