Stepparent Adoptions
Tuft, Lach, Jerabek & O’Connell, PLLC can assist you in a stepparent adoption. In Minnesota, adoption is a juvenile court proceeding put in place to serve the best interests and needs of a child. Adoptions can take place through agencies, private parties, and stepparents.
Often a stepparent adoption proceeds with the consent of a biological parent. However, consent is not always required if a biological parent has physically, emotionally, and financially abandoned the child and cannot be found. Before a stepparent adoption can proceed, there are some requirements that must be met:
- The adoptive stepparent and spouse must have lived in the State of Minnesota for at least one year;
- The adoptive stepparent and spouse must have been married for at least one year;
- The child, if over 14 years of age, must consent to the adoption;
- The adoptive stepparent and spouse must consent to a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension background check; and
- The adoptive stepparent and spouse must submit to a home-study, unless waived by the Commissioner of Human Services.
An uncontested stepparent adoption generally takes 4-5 months to complete, but also depends upon other factors, such as the county in which the proceeding takes place, whether the adoptive stepparent has a criminal history, and whether the home-study has been waived.
Please contact Tuft, Lach, Jerabek & O’Connell, PLLC if you would like more information regarding the adoption process.
