My 5 year old son has no contact with his father, and he doesn't pay any money, I am engaged now and my son calls my partner daddy. We are getting married in 2010, and my partner would like to adopt my son. At the moment he is only 20 is there a certain age he has to be, and how do we go about doing this

Where do you live, what state/country?

1. Get married.
2. Get a lawyer.
3. Have the biological father's rights severed (the lawyer will be able to walk you through this)
4. Go to court for adoption.

To answer your question, yes he can adopt. But it would be better if you waited unbtil you were married. The courts like to see a stable relationship before they grant an adoption.

The bio father needs to agree to the adoption (does he pay support) or have his rights terminated (unlikely).

Depending on where you live, most states you have to be married for at least a year before a spouse can adopt their spouses child. Also, (depending on state) if the bio father has no contact with your child for at least 6 months prior to you filing the petition for adoption, it is considered abandonment and his consent will not be needed.

It's doable... but I have different view.

Once the child was adopted... he's no longer YOURS.
What if you get divorce... what would you do?
Would your child be MINE or OURS?
Think about consequences and legal procedures that might follow...