Hello!
My father passed away when I was only 2 years old. My mother after years of being a hard working, single parent then re-married again when I was 9 years old because she felt that I needed a father to look up to and she yearned for a companion. I was accepted by my step-father and we all got along as a family very well. My step-brother was born a year later. I have no other siblings and we are a nuclear family.
(Unfortunately,) there was no legal adoption procedure done at the time because my school readily entered my step father as a legal guardian in their records and there were no other issues which might have prompted us to make a legal adoption. For all practical matters he was(is) my father and I was(is) his daughter.
However, now I am 22 and he is thinking of making a will. He is worried that his family (his brothers - who have not been too fond of me) might create problems in future as there is no "legal" deed of adoption or the likes.
Secondly, we are members in a club in Mumbai and the committee at the club is denying me my rights saying they need proof of adoption (which there is none) to give me the rights, that as a member's daughter, I deserve.
Since I am an adult, it is too late to make a legal adoption, what I wanted to ask the knowlegdable members of the 'lawyersclubindia' is, what might my alternatives be at this point?
It is heart breaking to know the man who I consider my father - the world doesn't consider any relation between us. Please advice.
I will be extremely grateful,
Mala.
Additional information:
We are Hindus.
We live in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
PS - Please let me know if I have left out any information. I will gladly include it. Thanks again,
