Adopting Step Children in Indiana

A stepparent adoption occurs when a stepparent legally takes over the responsibilities in place of the child’s biological parent. This can often happens when the parents are divorced and remarried or if the child’s biological parent is deceased. When a stepparent adoption is complete, there is no difference between the stepparent and biological parent when it comes to custody, inheritance and other parental responsibilities.

To initiate a stepparent adoption, you should first see if you can get consent from the other biological parent to the adoption or see if any of the exceptions to consent apply. If you have consent to adopt, the rest of the stepparent adoption process is streamlined and you do not even have to do a home study. The main process involves involves filing the petition, performing a background check, attending a hearing, and submitting the appropriate orders to the Court. The legal standard is whether or not the adoption it is in the best interests of the child which can be easy to satisfy if you have consent and an existing stepparent relationship with the child.

If you are considering a stepparent adoption and have questions, we are here to help and answer any questions you have.