The role of a stepparent can be critical in a child’s life. In some cases, Florida residents who are helping to raise another person’s child may want to go through the formal adoption process. Completing the process will be much easier if the stepparent already has a relationship with the child and one of the child’s parents.
In most cases, the biggest challenge is to get the consent of the child’s other parent. Assuming that another party still has parental rights to the child, his or her consent is needed in any stepparent adoption case. However, if rights have been terminated, then it is not necessary to get consent. In the event that a parent won’t give consent to an adoption, there could be ways to terminate the rights of that parent regardless of his or her stance.
For instance, if the parent hasn’t communicated with the child or provided any type of financial support, this could be considered child abandonment. Parents can also be declared unfit due to abuse or neglect. Finally, it may be proven that a man does not meet the requirements to be considered the presumed father of the child. In such a scenario, his consent to adopt would not be needed.
Although stepparent adoptions may be easier to complete than a typical adoption, several factors should be taken into consideration. An attorney could advise an individual who wishes to adopt. Legal counsel may also offer insight into how to convince biological parents to relinquish their rights to a child.
