My question involves adoption law for the State of: Virginia
I want to adopt my wife's oldest son (15). His Father says that he will not allow it. As a father, he refuses to see the son, does not talk to him, and he has told us on many occasions that he wants nothing to do with the son. He is paying child support, and he said that he wants the son to have his last name and that there is nothing that my wife and I can do to change it.
Her son wants me to adopt him, as well as I want to adopt the son, and my wife wants it as well.
In the past, the father was physically abusive to the mother and the son, as well as verbally. I think that he is fighitng this because he wants to feel that he has some kind of "Power" over the situation. We have talked to him and told him our wishes, and he refuses, even though he would be out of the oblivgation to pay the child support any more.
Is there even a chance that my wife and I can proceed with this, even though we know that the father will not approve?

