Im 16 years old and my ex-girlfriend wants to give our baby up for adoption. Is there any thing I can do to get custody of our baby so she can't give it up for adoption?

Hello ad:

Sure. You'll have to go to family court.

excon

Of course, you are aware that if she (and you) don't give this baby up for adoption, it means that you will be required to pay child support, and that you should be involved in the child's life? If you really really want this child, then I think that you should be willing to fight for primary custody, so that you are the one getting up in the middle of the night to comfort crying baby, making the pediatric appointments, etc.

The reason I am coming down on you so hard is that you are a 16-year-old boy. It's easy for you to say that she should keep your baby, because most likely you will only be visiting it on the weekends. So you will be able to boast to all your friends how you have a kid, and that you buy it diapers and formula every so often, but if you get tired of the situation and want to go out partying with your friends all night, you can just stop coming around and do so. She will not have as easy of a time with the entire situation, because she won't be able to just put the baby on a shelf and do what she wants with her life.

So, think about it seriously. Is it in the best interests of this unborn child to be raised by two teenage parents, or to be adopted out to a stable loving home?

(And man, does English need a neutral pronoun! "It" just doesn't seem right, but typing out "the baby" all the time gets tiresome.)

Check this: Contact our Pregnancy Consultants at 800-395-HELP

You can contest the adoption and attempt to get custody. You'll probably need to sue for an adjudication of paternity and have the court order a DNA test to prove that you are really the father and are thus entitled to contest the adoption and attempt to get custody.

[QUOTE=froggy7]adubb88 disagrees: I have helped raise my two little sisters before we were all taken by the state. And then I was still taking care of my 2 year old sister because all 8 different famillies that we were with didn't care. I know what it means to sacrifice. I don't party


Please read the rules of the Board - just because you don't agree with the answer doesn't mean it is legally incorrect. No reason to give a "reddie."

That being said - how old is your girlfriend?

This makes me sad - you were taken by the State, you were with 8 different families that "didn't care" and now you are planning for a child to be raised by a 16 year old father with (apparently) no family support system. How do you intend to support the child IF you get custody?

Sad, indeed - experience is most definitely not the best teacher.

What state do you live in ? The reason I ask is because depending on the state there are different routes to take to obtain your goal. In some states the mother need only drop the baby off in a convinient spot and no questions are asked and your child could be lost to you forever.