My sister is pregnant and doesn't want the baby.she said she'll sign her rights over to me and my fiancé once the baby is born.The father is unknown.How can we obtain custody of the baby.

Hello n:

Get married and file a petition for adoption.

excon

It will be harder since the father is not know, ( and cost more) but it is possible. Again some states will require you to be married

The only way she can sign her rights over to you is if you adopt the child. Most states require that you be married, sometimes for at least a year, before they will approve an adoption.

The father will have to be contacted to agree to the adoption. A father is never unknown unless the child was a result of a random rape. Unless that is the case your sister knows who the father might be. She may not know which one of multiple sex partners is the father, but she should know who she had sex with during the time of potential conception. The court will require that all potential fathers be contacted (or contact legally attempted) and take a paternity test to determine who the bio father is.

I would suggest you contact an attorney in your area, who can let you know what the requirements are according to local laws (since you didn't say where you are, we don't know what local laws apply). What you might be able to do is obtain guardianship of the child until you are ready to do a formal adoption.