{"id":1845,"date":"2019-04-08T21:17:38","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T01:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/?p=1845"},"modified":"2023-09-20T23:48:51","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T03:48:51","slug":"myths-and-realities-florida-pro-se-step-parent-relative-and-adult-adoptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/myths-and-realities-florida-pro-se-step-parent-relative-and-adult-adoptions\/","title":{"rendered":"Mitos y Realidades - Adopciones Pro Se de Padrastros, Familiares y Adultos en Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/downloads.mailchimp.com\/js\/signup-forms\/popup\/unique-methods\/embed.js\" data-dojo-config=\"usePlainJson: true, isDebug: false\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.dojoRequire([\"mojo\/signup-forms\/Loader\"], function(L) { L.start({\"baseUrl\":\"mc.us20.list-manage.com\",\"uuid\":\"90bc8a78c83b08a7b54b73a8d\",\"lid\":\"52b279cdf9\",\"uniqueMethods\":true}) })<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Frequently we receive calls at Florida Family Adoptions where the pro se party has \u201cheard\u201d or has been \u201ctold\u201d something about Florida adoptions that isn&#8217;t accurate.\u00a0 I have compiled a list of the most common myths and realities, and I hope this will help others who are contemplating filing a pro se grandparent, relative, step-parent or adult adoption in the Florida Courts.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">MYTH:<\/span> \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">\u00a0 <strong>You cannot file a pro se adoption in Florida unless you have the consent of both birth parents.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">REALITY:<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0 \u00a0 While having the consent to adoption of both birth parents is ideal, most\u00a0 family adoption cases filed in Florida have the consent of only one parent, and sometimes there are no adoption consents signed by the birth parents at all.\u00a0 It is not true that you must have birth parents consents in order to file, however, be aware that you will have to complete various other steps to ensure that proper notice is given to the birth parents.\u00a0 <strong>In cases where both parents are unlocatable, the Court is empowered to consent to the adoption in their place, if necessary.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">MYTH:<\/span> <\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"> <strong>You can use step-parent adoption forms for a relative adoption.\u00a0 There is really no difference between the two.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>REALITY:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This is a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">BIG MISTAKE <\/span>\u00a0that is made by many pro se parties in Florida and a myth that frustrates me greatly.\u00a0 I have lost count of the phone calls I have received at Florida Family Adoptions from grandparents and relatives hoping to adopt that filed step-parent adoption forms for a relative adoption and have: <strong>a)<\/strong> appeared before the Judge and had their cases dismissed for improper and legally insufficient adoption documents; <strong>b)<\/strong> are stuck in the court system for a year or more trying to get their case finalized.\u00a0 To add insult to injury, no one will them what is wrong with the documents they filed.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone who tells you to use step-parent adoption forms for a relative or grandparent adoption is giving you faulty information.\u00a0 <strong>There are very specific allegations that have to be made in the pro se relative adoption petition that are NOT included in a pro se step parent adoption petition.<\/strong> We hear accounts from time-to-time that some parties have managed to get their relative adoptions granted on step-parent adoption forms. Please understand that <strong>this reflects your Court\u2019s unfamiliarity with the law rather than a situation where using step- parent adoption forms was the proper way to file your pro se relative adoption.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1847 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/MariPullingHair.jpg\" alt=\"Florida Relative and Step-Parent Adoption Myths\" width=\"171\" height=\"128\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>This is me every time I hear that a pro se party trying to file a Florida Relative Adoption is told by a Clerk of Court or someone else to use Step Parent adoption forms and just \u201ccross out\u201d the step parent part and write in \u201crelative\u201d.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">MYTH:<\/span> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>There is no father.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">REALITY:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>There is a father.\u00a0 I assure you.<br \/>\n<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">MYTH:<\/span> <\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">\u00a0<strong>A birth father is <em>&#8220;out of the picture&#8221;<\/em> if his name is not on the birth certificate and\/or has long ago abandoned the child(ren) to be adopted.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>REALITY:<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 I hear this one a lot.\u00a0 The reality is that just because his name is not on the birth certificate or he is long gone, it doesn&#8217;t mean that you can simply ignore him during the adoption process.\u00a0 <strong>If you know who the birth father is, he must be identified, and you must attempt to locate him and give him proper notice of the adoption process.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If the identity of the birth father is unknown, certain additional adoption forms must be included with your pro se relative or step parent adoption filing.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">MYTH:<\/span> <\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>A termination of parental rights process must be completed before a pro se party can file a petition for adoption.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>REALITY:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This one baffles me, because it is clearly written in Florida law that step-parent, relative, and adult adoptions can be filed by pro se parties in one step.\u00a0 Florida Statute \u00a7 63.087(3) specifically states: <strong><em>\u201cAdoptions of relatives, adult adoption, or adoptions of step children are not required to file a separate termination of parent rights proceeding pending adoption.\u00a0 In such cases, the petitioner may file a joint petition for termination of parental rights and adoption, attaching all required consents, affidavits, notice and acknowledgements.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>MYTH:\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">The birth mother has one year to change her mind.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>REALITY:<\/strong><\/span><strong> \u00a0 <\/strong>There is some confusion regarding the revocation rights of the birth parent and what is called the \u201cstatute of repose\u201d.\u00a0 Under Florida Statute \u00a7 63.082, if the birth parent signs a consent to adoption for a child who is six (6) months of age or younger, the consent is valid and irrevocable upon signing.\u00a0 If, however, the child to be adopted is older than six (6) months of age at the time the birth parent(s) sign the consent(s), it is still valid upon signing, <strong>but<\/strong> it is subject to a revocation period of three (3) business days.\u00a0 In Florida, consents for adoption can only be revoked if the birth parent(s) can prove in a court of law that the consent for adoption was signed under fraud or duress.\u00a0 The \u201cone year\u201d or Statute or Repose that people refer to is found under Florida Statute \u00a7 63.182, which states: <em><strong>\u201d\u2026an action or proceeding of any kind to vacate, set aside, or otherwise nullify a judgment of adoption may not be filed more than 1 year after entry of the judgement terminating parental rights.\u201d<\/strong> <\/em>\u00a0\u00a0This is different from the birth parent\u2019s right to revoke a consent. In the case of Florida pro se step-parent, grandparent, or relative adoptions, <strong>the date of the termination of parental rights is usually the same date as the entry of the final judgment of adoption.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>MYTH:<\/strong><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">The birth mother or birth father signed a notarized paper terminating his or her parental rights.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">REALITY:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> \u00a0 <\/strong>In Florida, a \u201cnotarized paper\u201d cannot terminate parental rights.\u00a0 Only a Judge can do that.\u00a0 You&#8217;d be surprised how many people call looking for that non-existent, magical form.\u00a0 Sometimes a termination of parental rights can occur as part of a DCF case (Chapter 39) when the birth parent(s) fail to complete a case plan, and it is in the child\u2019s best interests to take steps towards adoption.\u00a0 For many pro se parties, they are seeking to adopt their step child, grandchild, or relative through the private adoption process afforded by Chapter 63 of Florida law.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the process for adopting a non-relative is completely different.\u00a0 It not only requires a licensed adoption agency or attorney (an adoption entity), but the adoption must be filed using the two-step process (termination of parental rights and then adoption).\u00a0 Pro se parties filing a relative or step-parent adoption file their termination of parental rights and adoption in one step (as discussed above).\u00a0 In either case, however, the Judge enters an Order terminating parental rights.\u00a0 If you have a \u201cnotarized paper\u201d, you will still need to address the birth parent(s) and termination of their rights when you file your Florida pro se relative, grandparent, or step-parent adoption.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>MYTH:<\/strong><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">It takes a long time to adopt and it&#8217;s very expensive.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">REALITY:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span> \u00a0 <\/strong>Over the years since Florida Family Adoptions was created, I have received dozens of calls from families that have consulted with attorneys who tell them that it will take a lot of time and money to make a family adoption a reality.\u00a0 I can only surmise that some of these attorneys may not have the level of experience required to process a Chapter 63 step-parent or relative adoption.\u00a0 I have been fortunate to know many highly qualified, board-certified and well-seasoned adoption attorneys in our great State of Florida, however, even with considerations, their fees may be out of the reach of the average grandparents and families who live on a limited income.\u00a0 The bottom line is that it is not expensive to adopt if you connect with the proper resources to help you.\u00a0 As for the time it takes, well, that is a function of the Florida courts, and some counties are better than others.\u00a0 In any case, your adoption should be resolved in months \u2013 sometimes in about 60-90 days in the \u201cgood\u201d counties and in other situations three to six months.\u00a0 There are many factors that can affect the timeline, i.e.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A larger county has many more cases and the court dockets are full;<\/li>\n<li>You may have to deal with a the court&#8217;s pro se coordinator who has little or no knowledge of how Chapter 63 private adoptions are processed;<\/li>\n<li>The pro se coordinator may be overburdened; or<\/li>\n<li>The Judge could have restrictive time slots for hearings, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">The Bottom Line<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>The bottom line is here is that your relative and step-parent adoption goals are achievable within a reasonable time and at an affordable price that won\u2019t break the bank.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> I have made it my mission to <a href=\"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/florida-relative-grandparent-stepparent-adoptions\/\">prepare documents for pro se families that will pass muster with the Courts<\/a>. \u00a0Nothing brings me more pleasure than getting that phone call on finalization day, telling me that it all \u201cwent perfect\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 That, my friends, is the sweetness at the bottom of the pie.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Please feel free to use the comments section below ask questions or make comments on the blogs.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll try to answer your questions as best I can without providing legal advice.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Thanks for reading!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Blessings and blessings. ~ Mari<\/strong><br \/>\n<a id=\"formAnchor2131450656\" name=\"form2131450656\"><\/a><br \/>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/fs22.formsite.com\/include\/form\/embedManager.js?2131450656\"><\/script><br \/>\n<script>\nEmbedManager.embed({\n\tkey: \"https:\/\/fs22.formsite.com\/res\/showFormEmbed?EParam=m_OmK8apOTCLFP8Ovs7sA0WklWeCC-uXFzpUCZwnDno&2131450656\",\n\twidth: \"100%\"\n});\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Frecuentemente recibimos llamadas en Florida Family Adoptions donde la parte pro se ha \"escuchado\" o le han \"dicho\" algo acerca de las adopciones en Florida que no es exacto.  He recopilado una lista de los mitos y realidades m\u00e1s comunes, y espero que esto ayude a otros que est\u00e1n contemplando la presentaci\u00f3n de un abuelo pro se, pariente, padrastro ... <a title=\"Mitos y Realidades - Adopciones Pro Se de Padrastros, Familiares y Adultos en Florida\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/myths-and-realities-florida-pro-se-step-parent-relative-and-adult-adoptions\/\" aria-label=\"Leer m\u00e1s sobre Mitos y Realidades - Adopciones Pro Se de Padrastros, Familiares y Adultos en Florida\">Seguir leyendo<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,356,358,357],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-other","category-adoption","category-relative-adoption","category-stepparent-adoption"],"modified_by":"John Bayne","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridadocument.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}