Legal Question in Family Law in Indiana

My husband & I got custody of his son in March 2015. We got him from his mother on March 13th, and court was the following Monday (3/16/15). We got full legal/physical custody of him and his mother is allowed supervised visits with my husband approving the date, time, length, location and supervisor. She has not contacted us since the 13th when she dropped him off with us. She did not go to court. Towards the end of March, she moved from the home she lived in and got a new phone/#. We now have no idea where she is or how to get a hold of her. She has all our contact info, it has been the same for years. I would like to adopt my stepson. I need to know if the abandonment laws apply to my case/her, and if there is any way to go about me adopting him. Also, is there any way to find his mother? Its really hurting him not seeing/talking to his mother (even though it was her choice to leave him).


Asked on 8/21/15, 10:35 am

2 Answers from Attorneys

Jay Rigdon Rockhill Pinnick LLP

Yes, in the near future you may be able to adopt him without her consent. You should contact an adoption attorney in your community about this subject.

You can hire a private detective to try to locate her if finding her is important to you.

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Answered on 8/21/15, 10:37 am
Burton Padove Indiana and Illinois Lawyer, Burton A. Padove

There really is no abandonment law for private divorce or paternity cases in Indiana that I am aware of . However if she has no contact long enough or fails to provide for support for a 1 year period, her consent is not needed for an adoption.

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Answered on 8/21/15, 10:49 am


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