How Do I Adopt My Stepdaughter

[Crowbiz]

My question involves adoption law for the State of: Nebraska/Texas
What are my chances of adopting my stepdaughter while her father is in prison for gang related crimes. He signed his rights over to his mom when he went into prison so i dont know if my chances of adopting her are very great what would be the best way to adopt her if there is anyway at all

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also i live in nebraska with my wife and 2 children who are mine. but my stepdaughter was born in texas, her grandmother whos son signed over rights to lives in texas, and father lives in texas. if adoption is not a possibility is there anything else i can to to gain rights to her?

[Dogmatique]

Dad signed over custody - correct? His parental rights were not actually terminated in court?

How long have you been married to Mom and how long is he going to be incarcerated? How much contact has he had with the child?

Would be willing to agree?

[Crowbiz]

yeah the father signed his rights over to his mom i have been married to mom for almost 2 years, the little girl jus turned 5 and i have HELPED raise her since she was 1 and a half. if he is incarcerated for his full term he will be in till 2018 he goes up for parole next month which is why i want to figure out what i can do to gain LEGAL rights to her. And for some reason he hates me, does not know me never has met me and until jus recently the custody arrangement was every 3 months she would go back to texas to grandmas for 3 months but since she is startin school we haver her during school year and she goes to texas for summer. there is no way he would agree to me gaining rights in any way shape or form

[Dogmatique]

No, I really need you to find out because it makes a HUGE difference.

If his parental rights were terminated, he no longer has a child. If all he did was sign off on Mom having custody, he is still Dad and can object to a stepparent adoption.

[Crowbiz]

they were not terminated. This is bad news to me. Is there any way to fight it considering he was involved in a gang in the very town his mom lives in? I mean people get there children takin away by justice system for certain crimes they break and choices in lifestyle, right? i jus really dont want to see her grow up and make same bad choices he did, not sayin she will but apples dont fall far from trees.