questions & answers

Question: My daughters biological father has not seen her in over 18 months and has not reached out at all. He lives in New Jersey. My husband has been in her life and a full time dad for over 2 years. How would we go about terminating parental rights if the biological father is not on the birth certificate and has not been involved with her at all? My husband would love to adopt her, but I don’t know how to go about it.

Answer: You say he is not on the birth certificate.  Has there been a paternity action filed that establishes him as the father?  The process can be complicated and the court will likely require you to notify the father of the intended adoption or show that he has abandoned the child.  For this type of case, your best bet is to talk to a lawyer and get some sound legal advice based on your specific circumstances.  There are three programs in Arizona that you can use to get inexpensive legal advice and guidance.  One is the modest means program.  You will need to apply for the program and meet the financial qualifications.  Once you are qualified, Modest Means will send you a list of attorneys whose practice covers your area of concern.  You select a lawyer from the list and will be entitled to a one hour consultation for $75.  If you need additional help and if the lawyer agrees to take your case, the most you will be charged is $75 per hours.  the telephone number is (866) 637-5341.  Both Maricopa County and Pima County have lawyer referral programs that offer a 30 minute consult with an attorney.  Maricopa County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consult with an experienced attorney for $40.  The telephone number is  (602) 257-4434.  Pima County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute attorney consult for $35.  The telephone number is (520) 623-4625.