Stepparent adoption
Adopt the child you already raise
You pack the lunches, sign the field-trip forms and sit up through the fever. An adoption makes the law say so.
Most stepparent adoptions are agreed from the start: the child's other legal parent consents, or a court has already ended that parent's rights. We begin by finding out which of those is yours, because it decides the papers, the notice and the timeline.
You don't need to come to Bellevue. We draft, you review on a video call and sign online, and the hearing is usually short.
Consent or notice to the other legal parent
A decree and a new birth certificate
Your name beside your child's on school and medical records
What the stepparent fee covers
One flat fee, quoted before you hire us. It runs from the first draft to the decree.
What it covers
Petition, consents and decree
Notice to the other legal parent
Your hearing, by video where the court allows
What can move it
A contested adoption, or a matter that isn't the usual kind, is quoted on its own, in writing, before we start.
How you pay
In two parts: half to start, half before we file. Ask about the schedule on the free call.
The court's filing fee, a home study and background checks are paid to the court or the provider, not to us.
The route
Five steps to your hearing
- 01
Step 1: A free call
Twenty minutes on who the other legal parent is, what the child's records say and what your county's court expects.
- 02
Step 2: A quote and an online signature
The fee in writing, with the outside costs listed. You sign the agreement from your couch.
- 03
Step 3: Consents and checks
We send the consent forms, and tell you how to book fingerprints and a home study if your court asks for one.
- 04
Step 4: Filing
We file the petition, pay the filing fee out of the money you've given us for it, and ask for the earliest hearing.
- 05
Step 5: The hearing
A judge asks you and your child a few simple questions. Then the decree, and the photo.
Stepparents ask us
What if the other parent won't agree?
A contested adoption is a different matter: it takes longer and we quote it separately, in writing. On the free call we tell you whether we take it or point you to someone who does.
Does my stepchild have to come to court?
Usually, and most judges keep it warm: a few questions, sometimes a photo on the bench. Older children are asked what they want.
Will my stepchild's name change?
Only if you ask. The decree can include a new name, and the birth certificate follows it.
Do we need a home study?
Some counties require one for stepparents and some waive it. We tell you which on the free call. A social worker does it and charges separately.
Ready to sign the petition?
Twenty minutes, free, by video. Have your child's birth certificate close by.
The first call is free. Court filing fees, home studies, background checks and any agency or clinic charges are separate, and we list each one beside your fee.