Where Do I Start

You can contact someone at the court in your area that handles adoptions. They can point you in the right direction. To find your local court: [url]http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/trial/courtlist.htm[/url] To find California Law: [url]http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html[/url] Forms for Riverside: [url]http://www.courts.co.riverside.ca.us/localfrms/localfrms.htm[/url] Contacting these people would be a great place to start and ask questions: Riverside County Department of Public Social Services Riverside, CA (909) 358-3555 California Courts of Appeal Read the unpublished cases. Many of them are about the termination of parental rights and what the grounds were. This can give you some insight into what judges are thinking and what evidence they are looking for. Those cases are usually listed as. In Re: Bobby H. or In The Matter of the Adoption of Johnny S. Unfortunately my case is no longer posted there as it has been over 60 days. If you wish to see it PM me with your email and I will send a copy. BTW I won my case. My ex appealed and he lost. Yes, he had an attorney, I did not. [url]http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/[/url] If the other parent will consent, here is where you find the forms. You will want to look for forms AD 2 thru AD 2D. Pick the one you need and print it out. BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE FORM!! I cannot stress that enought. Make absolutely sure it is notorized or witnessed properly. If the bio parent your dealing with is incarcerated a deputy from the facility as witness is acceptable. Make sure they provide title, badge #, facility contact # with signature. I had three originals done just in case. [url]http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/cdssweb/On-lineFor_272.htm[/url] This is the Nolo Law site. Great info. Just type stepparent adoption into the search box and read FAQ's. Very helpful. [url]http://www.nolo.com/index.cfm[/url] Intersting information on stepparent adoption, a nice explaination of the law: [url]http://www.adoptionsolutions.com/ge...laws/ca_law.htm[/url] Also, you local law library is a great source of information. Many offer low cost ($5-$10) and free classes for information gathering and filling out a variety of legal forms. Some courts also have classes and tours of their law libraries. Check their sites. You can also look for seminars and classes that are offered at law schools. You don't have to be a law student or an attorney for many of these. These classes are usually extra curricular and be prepared, many cost $50 and up. I hope this helps you. Good Luck!!!