[floridamom36]

I live in fl and just recently did a step parent adoption for my 3 teenage kids to be adopted by their step dad. He has been in there lives for the last 12 years we just never made it legal because we could not afford an attorney. Then i realized you could do the research and paperowork yourself and file it and that is what we did and it was a success.
Now my question is about relative adoptions...We have had guardianship of our 2 nieces for several years now. It isnt thru the courts it is basically temp guardianship papers we had notarized with the parents signatures ect...giving us rights to enroll them in school and medical stuff...ect. At the end of the year we go down and redo the paper work for another year...and this is how it has been going on.
The parents get the girls every other weekend and we are all close. Recently the biodad has gotten into some legal trouble. he has never been in trouble before and i dont know if he will have to serve jail time or not---but it is looking like he will. The bio mom has 2 kids from a previous marriage and her mother has custody of them and raises them. The bio mom was ordered to pay child support for her 2 previos children and did not comply so soon there will be a warrant issued for her arrest.
If they both end up in jail i dont know how that effects my rights as the temporary guardian of their 2 girls.
I am wanting to approach my BIL and SIL about adopting the girls so we dont have to worry about anything concerning their wellbeing. I am pretty sure they will sign papers terminating their parental rights.
My main thing is i am trying to find the legal forms for the state of fl to go forward with a relative adoption---i can find the step parent adoption forms but not the relative adoption forms...can anyone help me or steer me in the right direction?? thankyou for your time.

[hkolln]

I would think you would first have to have both parents sign voluntary TPR (termination of parental rights) before the adoption can even be approved. Since the bioparents currently have legal rights that would need to be filed first.

Then you would have to file a petition to adopt.

We adopted our niece here in Florida but she was a foster child first. TPR happened in another state (her biomom and biodad are from ID) and then our attorney here filed the petition to adopt her and we went to court and finalized.

I would first research how to get the parents TPR'd. Then once they do that then file for adoption.

BTW: My current husband adopted my biodaughter and we did it ourselves by filing using a legal clinic. It was easy for that type of adoption. Her biodad (my ex husband) had to sign away his rights in order for him to adopt her. It's easy if you have consent from the bioparents. I would either get advice from a family attorney (free consulation) or a legal clinic.

[floridamom36]

Thankyou for your reply. The parents have signed away their parental rights and i had previously done the step parent adoption for my own children so i know how the process goes i just was needing to know what forms to use or where to get them. I have looked everywhere. They are not at the courthouse like the step parent forms where. Thankyou so much for your help. Blessings

[hkolln]

If you can't get the forms you may need to consult an attorney. We had to use one to finalize our niece's adoption.
And it may depend upon what county you are in. I am in Duval county and that is how ours was handled.
Do you need a homestudy done? I had to have one done and I don't know if that is required or not in your case.

The only thing I could find online was a website that charges to do the forms:
Rapid Adoption.com - Your Adoption Forms Company
But they do have a question box you can click and ask a question. Maybe they can help you? Or call an attorney and ask them or the courthouse where you are living.