My boyfriend of 5 years have no interest in getting married, however we would like my daughter (9 years old) to be adopted by him legally. Especially for reasons of the unlikely event of something happening to me, I want him to have full legal rights. Her biological father is on her birth certificate, but doesn't see her often or consistently or contribute financially. How do I go about making this happen?

Your location is very important. You see, many areas of the world require a couple to be married for at least a year before they will award adoption to the significant other. The courts are not willing to legally commit a child to an adult who will not legally commit to the parent of said child.

With that said, the father of the child will also have to agree to relinquish all rights to the child.