Biological father not listed on birth certificate

This is actually one of the EASIER adoption situations.

When the biological father isn't listed on the birth certificate, it simplifies the process significantly. Here's why:

The court is very enthusiastic about these cases because they want every child to have two legal parents. Right now, your child only has one legal parent (the mother). The court will approve the stepparent adoption so the child has a complete two-parent family.

## Here's what happens:

The court will terminate the parental rights of the "unknown father" as part of the adoption process. Even though his identity is unknown, the child still has parental rights from birth — the court simply terminates those unknown rights so your spouse can adopt.

No consent is needed from the biological father. No service is needed (you can't serve someone whose identity/location is unknown). The court handles this type of adoption regularly.

## What you'll need to show:

• That the biological father's identity is unknown OR his whereabouts are unknown despite reasonable efforts
• That the mother wants her spouse (the stepparent) to adopt
• That it's in the child's best interest

We include all the necessary affidavits and documents for this situation in your adoption package.

## Timeline and cost:

• Documents prepared: Within 24 hours of submitting the questionnaire
• Court process: About 3 months after filing
• Our service: $349
• Court costs: Approximately $300-$500 total (filing fees, background check, etc.)

This is a beautiful thing you're doing for your child. When you're ready to move forward, the questionnaire at stepparentadoption360.com/questionnaire takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Are you in Rhode Island, or is this for another state?