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Stepparent Adoption

lm862003's picture

Submitted by lm862003 on Sun, 04/10/2011 - 5:24pm

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Stepparent Rights

Has anyone on the board ever adopted their (former) stepchild to make themselves legal parent or guardian?

What was the court process like? I posted the legal steps and forms for the process in California on my own blog (http://www.modernblendedfamily.com/blogs/u1-e3/), but I am wondering if any of you have actually went through the experience.

steplifesux's picture

Submitted by steplifesux on Tue, 01/12/2016 - 7:21pm

My DH adopted my son13 he was 8 when he adopted. Depending on your circumstances with the bio parent step parent adoptions can be pretty simple.

For example, if bio parent hasn't paid anything in CS ( and it has to be zero) for over 24 months, the family court can grant a step parent adoption without bio parent consent if you can show the parent adopting can financial support the child.

In our case, support was being paid via garnishment, and only bc there was nothing spermDad could do about that. But he hadn't utilized his visitations in 6 years, nothing. My DH had been only Dad my son knows since he was 2yrs old. Submitting sperm idiots criminal record didn't hurt either. We had our attorney draw up the paperwork, my DH had to meet a check list of simple criteria, and that was that. We had to wait a 3 month period to give spermDad time to contest ( he didn't) and the family court judge granted adoption. It was actually pretty simple

Rags's picture

Submitted by Rags on Sun, 01/31/2016 - 4:34pm

My SS then 22 asked me to adopt him this past April. Since he is an adult the whole process took 4 days from meeting with our attorney to Judges signature. My wife also did an adult adoption with her dad in 2014. Her biodad was killed in a car accident before my MIL knew she was pregnant. My FIL was in the delivery room when my bride was born and my MIL and FIL married when my wife was 2mos old.

Interestingly in Sperm Land they had to prove that BioDad was deceased and my MIL had to fill out a bunch of forms confirming she had no issue with it.

I am not sure how difficult it is for a Sparent to adopt a minor Skid but no doubt it differs from state to state.