Late-Term Father

This is going to be a theme for awhile. For background, see below:

(This was a response to a friend who asked, "You want to adopt an adult?")

Technically, yes, as Shelby is 18.

She came into our life through a mutual friend. She was adopted at 45 minutes old by a couple who I don't think should have passed the background interviews. When Shelby was 3 her adoptive parents had a biological child of their own. Shelby became Cinderella.

By the time she was 16 they had sent her to Wasatch Canyon, a wilderness program, and a boarding school in Missouri. At 16, they tried to return her to the State. When the State said "no", they forced her to emancipate so they could kick her out without ramifications.

At 17 she joined the Utah National Guard and entered basic training when she graduated high school. She tried to reconnect with her family with a letter. Debbie (the adoptive mother), sent a response that paraphrased said, "We hate you, don't contact us again, ever!"

About 1 month later she tried again. Keep in mind, mail call in basic training requires a private to do 20 push-ups for a letter, 100 for a package. When she received mail she gladly dropped to her belly and did her push-ups. When she opened the envelope she found her original letter returned, unopened.

Katrin and I offered her a place to stay when she returned from her AIT (specialty training). During this time we sent her packages and letters. Within a few weeks she started calling us Mom and Dad. She joined our home a right after Thanksgiving. Since then we have become very close and she is our daughter, except by law. So, I researched it and found Utah statute allows for adult adoption as long as the adoptive parent is a minimum of 10 years older. Well, I'm 25 so I think I qualify. Since Shelby is an adult, we do not require anyone's consent other than hers. She wants to be our daughter and we want to be her parents. All we need to make this happen is the assistance of a kind attorney who can prepare the petition to meet the court's requirements.

Do you know an attorney who can help?