Teen Mom's Gary and Kristina Shirley Explain Adoption Process to Frustrated Daughter Leah After Speaking to Attorney

The Thursday, March 13 episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter saw the dutiful dad visiting an attorney's office to find out the legal options for having his wife, Kristina Shirley, adopt his 16-year-old daughter, Leah.

Gary shares Leah with ex Amber Portwood, telling the attorney that the Amber, 34, is "not really involved."

"I have physical custody of my daughter. Her mother is not really involved. In the past year, she has seen her daughter four days.... [Child support] is not enforced by the court. She's behind," he explains.

Gary explained to the attorney that, "In a perfect world would love for her," gesturing to Kristina, "to be adopted."

The attorney explained that legally, Leah has experienced abandonment by Amber, "Because she's not had any significant contact with her mother over the last six months."

"I think adoption would be your best option, because in an adoption, that severs that parent-child relationship that she has with her mother."

Addressing Kristina, the attorney continued, "You would become her mother and you would also be placed on the birth certificate as her mother."

The attorney explains that if they can prove Amber has abandoned Leah, her consent isn't needed to move forward with the adoption. She asks the couple if they think Amber would contest the adoption, which they both believe she would.

"If we have a contested adoption hearing, we're going to be able to show that she's not been in her life. She's not provided for her financially. She's not had significant contact with her in over six months."

Gary explained to the attorney that the move isn't "something we wanted to do," but he has concerns for Leah's wellbeing.

"If something happens to me, I don't see Amber being what Leah needs. I need to know if something happens to me, Leah's safe."

Things could move as quickly as 60 days or take as long as a few years, which is what the pair explained to Leah when they filled her in on the meeting.

"If everything was to go smoothly after filing paperwork, which you'd have to sign some stuff too, it could take three months. If Amber contests, then it could take like a year. It could take longer," he explains, telling his daughter he wants her to be "healthy and happy and taken care of."

Leah appears dejected as she processes what her dad is telling her. "If we say something or do something, she might try to do stuff and make it harder. Then it might take two years and at that point, there's really no point in even going through all the trouble for it," she says.