Family matters are almost always complex, especially when they enter the legal arena. Determining custody of a child is an emotional process for everyone involved. Currently, an Illinois man is in a battle for custody and visitation rights for his stepson. However, the man faces a particularly challenging set of circumstances because he never filed for legal adoption.

After getting married in 2009, the man and his wife raised three adopted children. The woman brought one adopted child into their marriage and the two adopted their second and third children together. The man believed that everything in their marriage was going well, so he was shocked when his wife wanted a divorce.

In the process of the divorce, the man was able to gain partial custody of his youngest child, but not his 3-year-old stepson. The man relied on his wife's word that the child was legally considered his son and now realizes he should have been more careful. At this point, all he is concerned about is spending time with the son he helped to raise.

The woman's lawyers assert that he has no legitimate claim to custody or visitation, because he never filed for stepparent adoption. Despite the facts of the case, he is doing what he can to spend time with the boy. He hopes that the considerable time he devoted to being a parent will strengthen his case.

This case is a heartbreaking example of how complicated family law cases can be. Additionally, the man's predicament is a reminder that adoptive parents should make sure they have gone through the appropriate legal channels to establish parental status. The hope is that cases such as this one are resolved as amicably as possible. Perhaps this man will be able to find the peace he so strongly desires.

Source: The Chicago Tribune, "3-year-old adoptee at center of unusual custody fight," Steve Schmadeke, Jan. 29, 2012