Legal Question in Family Law in California

Re: Adoption

Go to the courthouse and get the papers for a step-parent adoption. Just fill in the blanks and pay the fee. A court date will be held and he will be the proud papa. You will have to assert you do not know who the birth father was.

Re: Adoption

Contact the department of social services in the county in which you live. Explain that you want to do a step-parent adoption. They will give you a form to fill out and return. A background check will be done the step-parent. There is a fee for this service.

Also obtain a petition for step-parent adoption and file it with the court. The filing fee for adoptions is usually quite low.

After the department of social services completes its investigation a court date is set for the adoption. The parent, step-parent and child appear in court. The step-parent must sign an agreement to become the childs parent in the presence of the judge. After the agreement is signed the court issues an order for the adoption.

You can then obtain a form from the court clerk and have a new birth certificate issued with the step-parent's name on the birth certificate.

The process is simple, but requires the proper forms be filed with the court.

As with all legal processes you should get legal advice from an attorney.