Adoption

questions & answers

Question: I am willing to give up my parental rights to my ex wives husband to adopt my child. What steps do my child's step father and I need to take to make this happen?

Answer:

You can file a petition for termination of parental rights by asking your County's Superior Court Clerk for the paperwork. Here are the documents for Maricopa County.

Under Arizona law, the court may establish a permanent guardianship between a child and the guardian if the prospective guardianship is in the best interests of the child, the child has been adjudicated a dependent child, and child has been in custody of the prospective legal guardian for at least nine months as a dependent child (A.R.S. § 8-871(a)(1-2)). In a proceeding for guardianship the court will give primary consideration to the physical, mental, and emotional needs of the child (A.R.S. § 8-871 (C)). Any party to a dependency proceeding may file a motion for permanent guardianship, which must contain certain information (A.R.S. § 8-872 (A)(1-7)). Once Guardianship is established the court will issue a certified “Letter of Guardianship.” This can be used to show proof whenever necessary.