Adopting Step Children in Indiana

Transcript:

In this video, I'm gonna be talking about the steps to adopt your stepchild in Indiana. This is a common type of adoption, and the process is easier than what you may think. So about me, my name is Nathan Vining. I'm a family law attorney in Indiana, and I represent people in family law cases throughout the state. By the end of this video, you should understand the steps involved in a step-parent adoption.

1. Do You Have Consent?

To initiate a step-parent adoption, the first thing you should see, is if you can get consent from the other parent. Or, you should see if any of the exceptions to consent apply.

2. Do You Need Consent?

There are four main situations where you would not need the consent of the other parent. The first involves a lack of communication and specifically involves the other parent going a year without significantly communicating with your child without justifiable cause. In this situation, you don't need the consent of the other parent. The second situation involves a parent not paying child support for a year when financially able to provide support. The third involves unfitness of the parent. An example would be unfitness due to criminal activity or chronic substance abuse. The fourth situation involves the parent only making token efforts to support or communicate with your child. This essentially means that the parent has only made a minimal effort to support, communicate, or care for their child.

3. The Court Process

Once you have figured out consent, the rest of the step-parent adoption is pretty streamlined, and you don't even have to do a home study. The main process involves filing the petition, performing a background check, attending a hearing, and submitting the appropriate orders to the court.

So now, you should know a bit more about what steps are involved in the step-parent adoption. If you need help or have questions, you should follow my page because you can find out more information about adoption. You can also give me a call or text me. I'd be happy to answer any of your questions.

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