Me and my husband have been together for 9 years total, we just recently got married though. He wants to adoopt my daughter she is 10 soon to be 11. Her bio father has not contacted her since birth.how do I go about this process, and what type of fee's am, I looking at.:confused: I don't think there should be a delay in the process her step father has been around from the time she was 1 and a half till now. Other than myself he has always been the one to support her. She has called him daddy all her life. I honestly thought this would be an easy process... help me out if you can... thanks for viewing

Hire an attorney, the attorney will contact the bio father to get him to sign over rights to the child, this along with the adoption application is presented to the judge,

Very simple if the bio father does not object.

You can go to your local Family Court to find out the procedure. You will have to make a good faith effort to contact the bio father and get him to sign off relinquishing his rights. If you don't know where he is then the process will take longer. If you know where he is, then you can get the signature and fill in the forms and get a court date sooner.

It doesn't matter, by the way, whether the bio father hasn't contacted his daughter or not. He can't be forced to relinquish his rights.

Thanks for the suggestions

Her bio father has to be given the chance to consent to or contest the adoption. Do you know his whereabouts? If not, you'll have to make every good faith attempt to locate hm and demonstrate to the court that you tried but had no success. After the prescribed waiting period according to the laws of your state, the adoption can then proceed without his consent.

All the legal info has been provided to you. I am just writing to say good luck to you and your family. Even if your husband never gets to legally be named, you daughter knows he is her daddy. I am a firm believer that biology does not give us the right or equip us to be parents, though the legal system disagrees. The most important thing is that you have a happy family.