When a stepparent adopts their spouse's biological child — minor or adult — the court creates a full legal parent-child relationship, and the child's name can be changed as part of the process. We prepare the standard adoption forms at your direction, one package per child.
Both of the child's biological parents must agree and be available to sign the consent forms, and a child twelve or older must approve their own adoption. We cannot assist if the minor is of Native American or Native Alaskan heritage — free attorney referrals are available for those situations.
The non-custodial parent's parental rights are terminated, and the adopting stepparent assumes all financial and legal responsibilities — including child support obligations, inheritance rights and custody rights — as if biologically related.
Yes. The adult child's consent is required, along with the consent of the adopting party's spouse and — if the adult adoptee is married — their spouse. The biological parent who is the spouse of the adopting party must be living and still married to the adopting party.
