Protecting And Preserving What Matters Most: Family

I Want To Adopt My Grandchildren. Do We Need To Establish Paternity?

On Behalf of | Sep 19, 2022 | Family Law

Rita and Alan Dyer, of Kings Mountain, North Carolina had a clear reason to adopt their grandchildren, Frances Joy and Abraham. In an effort to provide a loving home and needed stability, they adopted their grandson, Abraham as a toddler and their granddaughter, Frances Joy was placed in their custody immediately after birth. When you know your grandchildren need you, you may not need a second thought to step up and take the responsibility needed to raise them, but you need to make sure you have all the right information and take all necessary steps to do it right.

Steps to Adopting Grandchildren

One thing necessary for grandparents to adopt their grandchild is termination of biological parental rights. This means the mother and father must surrender their rights and responsibilities as the parents of the children. In most states, parents must be notified of the request for adoption, and if they do not respond to the request, the court can automatically terminate their rights. Otherwise there will be a custody dispute.

Establishing Paternity

Problems may arise in getting parents to surrender their rights if there is a question of paternity. If you assume one man is the father and are confronted with another man claiming to be father, you’ll have quite the mess on your hands. Also, if the mother claims to be sure of the identity of her child’s father but he denies paternity, you need to seek help. Before you end up on the Jerry Springer Show with someone shouting, “Not the father” it would be wise to establish paternity to ensure you can legally move forward with the adoption of your grandchildren.

West Orange Paternity Test Lawyer

The legal process of establishing paternity can be simple or complicated, and can vary depending on the details of the case and attitudes of the parents. Sometimes the father only needs acknowledgement paternity with a form, but sometimes the mother may need to file an action, requiring DNA testing. The experienced paternity test lawyers with Gary J. Natale, P.C. can help simplify the process. To get started and learn about your options contact us today.