I have custody and legal guardianship of my nephew since he was born,he is now 8 and I want to adopt,what do i do in maryland?

Do mother and father BOTH consent to the adoption? Obviously, you know where the Mother is, but if you do not know where the father is, it makes things a bit more difficult. You must file a Petition in the Circuit Court. Ideally, you will have notarized consents for BOTH birth parents. Although the father is not in the child's life, he still has rights. Because the child is under age 10, you do not need his consent. You will need a lawyer for the child. The Court will appoint one for the child, and it will cost about $500. You will need various certified documents, including birth certificates, financial documents, physicals for you and your spouse, if applicable. You will need a lawyer for this case.