What steps do I need to follow to adopt my stepchild?

What steps do I need to follow to adopt my stepchild?

Jennifer Perry (Executive Director, Children's Action Network) gives expert video advice on: Does the non-custodial parent give up all their parental rights?; Are grandparents of the adopted child allowed to maintain contact?; What steps do I need to follow to adopt my stepchild? and more...

The first couple of steps in a step-parent adoption is you want to investigate the laws in your particular state that govern that type of adoption. You want to find out what type of court handles the adoption. In some cases, it's the juvenile dependency court. In some cases, it's a family court. Again, it varies from state to state. Then you want to obtain the proper paperwork and submit that paperwork. After you have obtained and submitted the paperwork, you're going to arrange for a hearing in the court. You're going to appear at the hearing. And during the hearing, the judge will finalize the adoption and issue a form certifying that the adoption has been finalized. Usually the last step in a stepparent adoption is applying for an amended birth certificate.