Legal Question in Family Law in Georgia
Can my husband adopt my daughter? The real father is unknown. I was wondering if there are steps that we would need to do before he can adopt her or can we just go to the courthouse and file the forms that I have for adopting?
2 Answers from Attorneys
There are no forms at the courthouse.
Adoption is a very technical area of law and you need a lawyer with experience in adoptions (I do quite a few).
Your statement "the real father is unknown" is a statement that could prevent adoption. Obviously you should know who he is, and you will need to give that information to the court. A court will have to determine if you have made a proper search for the father before terminating rights. Saying "unknown" will be problematic.
Feel free to contact me with more details.
The answer is yes, but not until the biological father's parental rights are terminated. This has to be done via the court. You cannot just file forms. Adoption generally is not all that expensive. Termination can become expensive IF the biological parent fights it. In your case, it sounds like the biological father has been an absentee all his life and may do it voluntarily if he can be located. Even if he is unknown, you will still need an attorney to guide you through this process. Please contact a family law/adoption attorney.