Adoption And Child Support

by Dan from Ocala, Florida, Marion County

Adoption And Child Support: I just found out I have a 2 and a half year old daughter, whom I have never seen or have known. The boyfriend of the mother is begging to adopt the girl from me. As I haven't seen her and just found this out I want to make the right decisions. What happens to court ordered child support when an adoption occurs?



Who do I pay it to or does it get paid when I sign over all rights to the boyfriend. This is all new to me so I am just wondering what is required of me.

Answer to Florida Adoption Question

Dear Dan,

In general, the child support obligation ends once the child is adopted.

However, if there is past due child support owed, then that amount may still be due to the child.

Since your ex's boyfriend is begging to adopt the child, there are a couple of things that all of you need to be aware of.

The simplest type of adoption is a stepparent adoption, when the biological father consents. However, since the possible adoptive father (the boyfriend) is not married to the mother, a stepparent adoption cannot take place until they are married.

In a stepparent adoption as in any adoption in Florida, parental rights are terminated at the same time as the adoption. The biological parent(s) responsibilities end right along with the rights. Have a look at our Stepparent Adoption Forms page for more information. The Order for Stepparent Adoption states in part:

3. All legal relations between the adoptee(s) and the parent whose rights are being terminated and between the adoptee(s) and the relatives of that parent are terminated by this adoption, as are all parental rights and responsibilities of that birth parent.

Notice: We provide these answers to the general public and our website visitors as a means to further their online legal research. These answers are merely suggestions and should not be regarded as legal advice.

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Our Self Help Guide, Florida Family Adoptions, includes updated information, new custom forms, and the processes & procedures you will need to adopt an extended family member in Florida, and much more.
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