how to adopt my neice had cousty of her since she was 3mths she is now 5years old?

orton2006	First of all adoption does not mean that you are lying and trying to say that you gave birth to your neice. Adoption would mean that you are the legal parent of your neice. I think that you should ask her how she feels about it. Does she know who her mother is or does she look at you as her mother. I think that that has to be the first priority. Then if after considering that you feel that this is in her best intrest and yours then I think that you should call around to attorneys to find out what steps you have to take. I hope everything works out for you and your neice. Good luck.

7rin	I'm confused at why you would want to pretend that you gave birth to her, when you didn't? It's just that that's all adoption does; it establishes the legalised lie that you gave birth to a kid that you didn't. It doesn't make the relationship between the two of you any different. If you love the kid and care for the kid and are already raising the kid, why do you want to lie about her own genetic heritage? I have a friend at uni. who's also parenting her niece because her drug-happy mom cba to do it herself. When we first met, we immediately got into deep discussions about adoption, and she insisted I was wrong to want to abort the legalised lie that is adoption. It wasn't until I pointed out to her that what she's doing is NOT Adoption(tm), but is what's s'posed to be done - she's filling the role without lying about it. Get court ordered parental guardianship or something (if you haven't already), but don't pay $$$$$ just to be able lie, and to leave your niece as nothing more than a dotted line in her own family tree. Take into account that the US Passport agency requires a birth certificate filed within one year of birth. You may be causing unnecessary headaches for the intended adoptee, and they may be denied a passport and/or driving licence (it's happened to too many already!) - the rules differ state to state. Finally, you may want to make sure you're not in a 'sealed record' state first: Adoption Laws & Sealed Records @ http://www.ehow.com/about_4777255_adoption-laws-sealed-records.html Adoption Records by State @ http://www.abcadoptions.com/adoptionrecords.htm Sealed records prevent even those who've had step-parents adopt them from accessing their own history.