Passport for a Minor

If his name isn't on her Birth Cert then you don't need him for a passport for her. If it is, then tell him you'll take him to court for child support if he doesn't get off his rear end and take care of this. If you or she is receiving any state/government assistance like WIC, Medicaid or food stamps, you'll be able to file for free though your social services department. Of file for abandonment where he will loose all his rights.

Good luck!
S.

I went through the same thig with my step-daughter a couple of years ago when she went to iceland. Her mother abandoned her 12 years ago, so getting her to meet us to sign anything was impossible, and we never did anything about it, not realizing that the process of getting a passport would even come up.

Anyway, we ended up having to file for abandonment in the county court, and then had to drive to Washington DC to get her an expidited passport. It sounds like you are making your own time schedule up, so you shouldn't have to go to those extremes. But filing abandonment isn't that hard, you basically just have to show them that he has not been around and that you are the sole caregiver with no help from him.

I understand why you're upset, but you also have to understand it is for YOUR/HER protection too. It keeps him from deciding one day to be dad and taking her out of the country without your consent.

I am assuming his name is on the birth certificate? If so, you shouldn't let finances stop you. Contact whatever agency overseas these types of issues in your state--Attorney General's Office in TX. In many states, you can file for custody and child support without an attorney...of course, it can get messy and that changes things but I think you should hold him responsible. I also never imagined the number of reasons that I would need to demonstrate full legal custody...get it taken care of!

Maybe just "threatening" to file, assuming he isn't paying you any support directly, will be enough to jolt him into action.

Good luck.

Hi, N.:
Talk to someone in your local mediation center.
See if that will help resolve your difficulites.
Good luck.
D.

If he 's on the birth certificate he needs to be present for the passport . That's my understanding of it. Good luck.

There is a form of special circumstances, if he has abandoned, then you can state that, and also there is no court order etc.. here is a couple of links, one from a lawyer with good info and the other is the form you can download. I have to do this for my child too, so I have researched a lot. Good luck!
http://www.okbar.org/obj/articles07/021007tucker.htm
http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds3053/ds3053_846....

I'm so sorry you're having a tough time N.. I think your daughter will get a lot out of this trip. It's a wonderful opportunity for her to see the world! I think you're only alternative now is to take a day, ambush Dad and get the signatures you need. Is there a notary by his workplace/home? Have you given him the specifics about what documentation he needs to bring with him? Are there any reasons he might not want to go (revoked license/no legal ID, fear that you're after child support money)? You could try reassuring him that you're only interested in his signature.
I know it is frustrating to work around these rules, but they are in place for your daughter's protection. Imagine if things were reversed, and this man suddenly decided he wanted to take your daughter out of the country. He simply wouldn't be able to do it without your notarized signature. Good luck!