Legal Advice

[LLBNM]

My stepfather adopted me in 1967 I was 16, my mothers lawyer stated that my biological father had died in Texas in a mental hospital. As I got deeper in my genealogy I would always type in my fathers name, in 2003 I typed his name in and it came up, he had died in 1998 living in Florida. My question is was the adoption with my stepfather legal.

[Vort]

My stepfather adopted me in 1967 I was 16, my mothers lawyer stated that my biological father had died in Texas in a mental hospital. As I got deeper in my genealogy I would always type in my fathers name, in 2003 I typed his name in and it came up, he had died in 1998 living in Florida. My question is was the adoption with my stepfather legal.

I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on the interwebs.

Your biological father is not alive to contest your adoption, so unless there are other irregularities, I would assume your adoption is still legal.

I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on the interwebs.

[john doe]

That's kind of tough for anonymous people on the internet who know nothing more than the 3 sentences you wrote. Plus, most of us on this site are not really legal experts even though sometimes we do play them on the internet. I suggest you contact someone closer to the situation or in the legal profession and provide them with much more information than what you have given us.

One question you should probably ask yourself is whether you really want to know the answers or even care at this point. I mean, it was over 40 years ago, will it really change anything in your life or your future by knowing whether the adoption was legal or not?

[Guest gopecon]

The question would probably depend on whether his parental rights were ever properly severed. They may have been, and your mom just wanted to spare your feelings/keep you from looking for him. As your bio father is not around to contest anything, and a judge did sign of on your adoption (making it legal, even if there were grounds for him to come back and contest it) there really isn't anything for you to worry about at this point. Issues of inheritance aside, I think once you became a legal adult the issue was somewhat moot.

[LLBNM]

Thank you for all the advice, do research on a biological parent can be difficult (medical records, etc) because your birth cerificate in one name and the parent is another. I have been sealed to my stepfather along with my mother, but truthfully I want to be sealed to my biological father. I have never been very close to my step or his family (which did not like me or my mother). As the time has passed I discover how much of a jerk he really was (stepfather). I was 7 and they had a fight (normal) my mother took my brother and myself to a friends house, she and her friend went out somewhere, Step father comes over and puts me on his knee, now thinging he is going to say something warm and nice this is what he said "You know this is all your fault", I am sorry but you don't tell a 7 yr old that its her fault her parents are going to divorce. (they didn't and think at that point they should have).

[john doe]

Well, since this is all about who you are sealed to, I wouldn't worry too much. No one will be forced to spend eternity sealed to someone they don't wish to be sealed to.