Should a Stepfather Pay Child Support?

Picture this....

A man marries a woman with a small child, who he legally adopts and for all intents and purposes becomes their father. They later get divorced. Should he have to pay child support? Or better yet, should he be allowed to "rescind" the adoption in order to get out of paying?

Later -- as in months or 5 years or more? SUppose they both saw the relationship lasting forever, as well as the adoption, eh?
I would think if the guy was involved enough to adopt, then years later, he is still dad. If nothing else he AGREED to take on the role and that includes support. Unlike marriage, adoption better be FOREVER. I just do not see how you can divorce a kid?

If he legally adopts, yes.

That depends on whether or not he's still got visitation with the kid. I think child support can be a big racket some of the time.

Forgiveness Man wrote:That depends on whether or not he's still got visitation with the kid.

Child support is not like an admission fee. If a person legally adopts a child they accept the responsibility for their care. I know men get a shitty deal in the courts sometimes. And some women do use the kids as a weapon (and vice versa of course) But that has to be hammered out with attorneys. Child support generally isn't conditional. Now if they didn't legally adopt the child but were only the spouse of the other parent I don't think they have a legal obligation there. They may still love the child & want to voluntarily help but I don't believe in that case they have a legal responsibility. But adoption is a legally binding act. They are just as responsible as if it were their biological child.

CeCe wrote:If he legally adopts, yes.

This.

Yeah, if he legally adopts, then yes, he should.

Once he adopts the child he is no longer the step father, he is then the father and yes must pay child support.

In many places a man who finds out that he's raising a child that was fathered by someone else still has to be financially responsible for his wife's infidelity so why not a man who formerly adopts?

i know of two men who have adopted their wives kids. Both are stand up guys, which is why they took on the responsibility. When they divorced, both automatically assumed they would pay support and visitation.

The kind of guy who would adopt someone else's kid, is not the kind who would shirk at that responsibility of support.

Forgiveness Man wrote:That depends on whether or not he's still got visitation with the kid. I think child support can be a big racket some of the time.

What does visitation have to do with child support? The only thing child support should be dependent on is who has CUSTODY. The person who does NOT have custody should have to pay child support. And depending on how much custody they have, that should determine how much child support is owed. Visitation is irrelevant. There are fathers out there who don't have any visitation at all, yet they still have to pay child support. I don't see why this should be different when it comes to an adopted child.

Yes he should. When you adopt your spouses child, you don't just become their parent for vanity.