questions & answers

Question: My son is 8 and his father has been in and out of his life we haven't seen or heard from him in about 7 months the longest time he has ignored our son has been a year-and-a-half he will randomly pop in and promise him a lot of things and when it's time to do for him he disappears . . . I married about 3 years ago and my son has asked many times for my husband to adopt him he even asked his Bio dad to please let him be adopted & of course he said no... can I claim abandonment? and how do I start the process?

Answer: Situations like this are too complicated for a canned answer.  If the biologic father will not agree to relinquish his parental rights and allow the child to be adopted, you will be required to litigate the issue in court.  You did not mention whether or not your ex pays child support.  That is a significant factor.  You may need a lawyer to help you.  There are 3 programs in Arizona that you can use to get some inexpensive legal advice and guidance.  One is the Modest Means Program.  If you are financially qualified for the program, for a $75 fee, Modest Means offers a one hour consult with an experienced attorney.  If you need additional help and the attorney agrees to take your case, the fee charged will not exceed $75 per hour.  The telephone number is (866)637-5341.  Both the Maricopa and Pima County Bar Associations have lawyer referral programs that offer a 30 minute consult with an experienced attorney.  Maricopa County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consult for a fee of $40.  The telephone number is (602) 257-4434.  Pima County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consultation for a fee of $35.  The telephone number is (520) 623-4625. If you do  not have sufficient money to pay for a reduced fee consult, you can go elsewhere on this website and apply to see if you qualify for a free lawyer.  Go to http://www.azlawhelp.org/accesstojustice.cfm