My step daughter wants to move in with me. She is my step daughter of over 15 years. I was there at her birth. She wants to come live with me when she turns 16, which is August. The mother, who has custody now, has given her permission and blessings to move in with me. Are there any legal petitions or procedures which I need to be aware of other than getting the mothers written consent?
Your step daughter may move in, but you would have no legal rights over her. Step parents don’t have legal rights over the biological parent of the child. So, the mother may take back your step daughter if she wants to. You should look into adopting your step daughter to ensure that you have all the legal rights to her. If the child is able to be adopted and there is consent by the parties, then you may be able to adopt your step daughter if that is the real cause of her moving in with you in the first place.