If you are a stepparent interested in adopting your child through a stepparent adoption, then this post is for you.

Three Things you Should Know About Stepparent Adoption in Alabama 

1. Implied Consent

The consent of almost every living parent is required in a stepparent adoption. However, a natural parent can give their consent by signing a paper. A natural parent can also give their consent by voluntarily failing to care for their child. If four months have passed and the natural parent has failed to maintain a significant relationship (usually through communication and support), then the court can find that the natural parent has given implied consent. And the adoption can move forward!

2. Actual Notice

One fear that stepparents have when starting the adoption process is notice. While it’s true that notice is usually mandatory to a legal parent, there are several types of notice. And sometimes a natural parent waives their right to notice by their failure to claim the rights of a parent. If a child is conceived out of wedlock, and their is no father on the child’s birth certificate, then the father is called “putative.” This simply means “possible.” If the putative father doesn’t sign something called a Putative Father Registry within 30 days of the birth of the child, then the court can consider that he has given implied consent.

3. Costs of Stepparent Adoption

The costs of a stepparent adoption vary based mostly on two things. First, how easy or difficult it is to rule-out the natural parent as a threat to the child’s permanency through adoption. Second, the efficiency the particular probate court. It may be easy to rule out a natural parent because they sign a consent to adoption realizing that this is what’s in the child’s best interest. Or, it could be difficult because the natural parent wants to claim their rights without stepping up to any responsibilities. If a natural parent contests your adoption, don’t fret. Our team is here to help. Also, some courts are efficient (getting the main point of adoption) and some courts are not efficient (seemingly adding layer and layer of bureaucracy and forgetting the point of their role).

In any event, it’s reasonable to expect $5,000 in legal costs if the process runs as efficiently as possible.

Adoption is a gift. Being part of that journey is truly a joy.

We pulled a podcast out of the vault on stepparent adoptions. We hope you enjoy.