We have a question regarding terminating birth parents rights (both mother & father). They are wanting to have us adopt their (currently unborn) baby girl that is due at the end of April. They both have agreed to this (they're both teenagers with a 15 month old already). The thing is, they are wanting paperwork completed so we can "legally" bring this baby girl home with us without any issues. So our questions are:

1. Do we have to have a lawyer to do guardianship papers or can we get them, have them signed infront of a notary and then enter them into the local courts? What about the termination of parental rights paperwork?

2. If a lawyer isn't needed for the guardianship, where can we find/get the paperwork needed to start this?

We know we need a lawyer for the adoption process, but we are currently doing major reconstruction on our house and do not want to attempt a homestudy yet. We just need something legal (in writing) to put them and us at ease. They wanted us to put my husbands name on the birth certificate so she'd already have our last name and the process for us would be easier, but that's illegal and we wouldn't be able to actually terminate the real father's rights. We are so excited about this and want it to work right, but financially we'd be strapped to pay a lawyer, my schooling and get everything we're going to need for this wonderful baby girl! Any help anyone has would be great!

Thanks!

Every state has different laws regarding private adoptions. I would suggest that you at least consult with an attorney so that you get all the paperwork correct. Some attorneys do offer free consultations. You can locate an attorney through the attorney locator on Lawinfo's home page at http://www.lawinfo.com/.