When a stepfather adopts his stepchildren, part of the adoption process is the change of the child’s surname from that of their biological father’s (or their mother’s maiden name if the father was not listed on the birth certificate,) to that of the adoptive stepfather’s last name.

While some children are excited about the adoption as well as the name change, other children, especially older children can have a hard time with letting go of the name that they have used to identify themselves with for their entire lives up until the point... more

Some families choose to have ongoing contact with a birthparent who has agreed to a stepparent adoption, but still wishes to remain either in direct contact with the child, or with the child’s family. This type of open adoption arrangement is very common now with domestic infant adoptions, and is catching on in the stepparent adoption world since in some instances the biological parent has been involved on some level of the child’s life for years.

While some parents are horrified at the idea of open stepparent... more

For a number of families the finalization of their stepparent adoption will be their first experience inside of a courtroom. In some situations biological parents may never have married, thus never having to be present in court for divorce hearings after the relationship dissolved, and the same holds true if the parents never made a formal custody and visitation agreement for their child. If this is going to be your first time in court, than there are a few things to know about what should, and should not be ... more

This is a question that is still being asked all the time on the adoption.com forums. Just about every family who is beginning to look into stepparent adoption wonders if they truly do need to spend so much money on a lawyer, or if they should just file the paperwork and attempt to do the legal process without the aide of an attorney. Some states give you the option of hiring an attorney for a stepparent adoption, while other states simply take the question out of the... more

What is the cost of a stepparent adoption? Inquiring minds definitely wish to know! Just about every family who is looking into having a stepparent adoption completed for their family, wants to know just how much of a financial commitment, or burden, they are getting themselves into. Everyone wants to know the bottom line, the final financial blow that the adoption process will be, yet because each adoption is different, as no... more

Not all cases of stepparent adoptions are due to one biological parent intentionally abandoning their child. There are also cases where a stepparent comes into a child’s life because one of the birth parents has died, and the remaining parent has since remarried. In order to solidify their relationship as parent and child, and become a “normal” family unit, many families in this case begin thinking about performing a stepparent adoption.

While... more

Many people on the adoption.com forums, as well as other places around the internet, ask this question all the time. Many times after a divorce, or failed relationship, the custodial parent moves on, and finds a new partner whom is involved in the child’s life, loves their child, and wishes to be an official parent to the child. While it is wonderful that there are so many people out there whom are willing to take on a child that is not theirs by birth, there are... more

One of the most common questions asked by families whom are looking to complete a stepparent adoption is where to find an attorney whom specializes in adoptions. Many people are reluctant to simply open the phone book and randomly select a name. Some lawyers are better than others, and it is wise to speak with several before you decide on one to use.

Adoption.com has a wonderful section on their website which lists adoption professionals. You can search by state, making it easy for you to find attorneys... more

Although most attorneys have an initial consultation for free, many people end up hiring the first one that they visit, liking them or not. Some feel guilty ‘wasting’ the lawyers time, however it is a lawyer who works for a client, not the other way around. Just because you have decided to visit the lawyer does not mean that you have decided to hire him or her. Just as you want to find a doctor with whom you are comfortable in working with, the same applies when you are in need of an attorney.

It is the lawyers job to sit through... more

Going through a legal process is a very stressful, and nerve racking journey. In many families who are going through a stepparent adoption, there is usually one parent who ‘takes charge’ of the adoption, and tries to handle everything him, or herself. Trying to navigate the legal process, even with a lawyer, can be a tricky, and often frustrating experience. If only one parent is handling the adoption, as well as the rest of his or her daily duties and tasks, it can become so overwhelming that the parent forgets to take care of him, or herself.

It... more