The stepparent adoption of an adult is by far the most common type of adult adoption. For those in the San Fernando Valley region (and all of Los Angeles) an adult adoption can usually be completed start-to-finish in only 3-6 weeks. (Well, our office knows how to do it that quickly anyway. For other attorneys, perhaps much slower.) Fortunately, Los Angeles County's adoption court system is faster than surrounding counties.
You've found this page via my StepparentAdoptionCenter.org website, which is actually dedicated to the stepparent adoption of minors (a different legal process). So this page is created for your convenience to tell you more about adult stepparent adoption while you are here. But I'd recommend you move over to my AdultAdoptionCenter.com website, which focuses exclusively on adult adoption (whether of an adult stepchild or other adult person). There you can learn all about the adult adoption process, my experience and qualifications, and start the process to have a free Zoom consultation. But if you'd like to stay here for the moment, here is a quick review of adopting an adult stepchild. . .
RANDALL HICKS
Adult Adoption Attorney
STEPPARENT ADOPTION OF AN ADULT - ESSENTIAL FACTS
Here are some key bullet points about all adult adoptions. When it is the stepparent adoption of an adult, it is basically no different legally.
• No home study is required.
• No parental consent is required, nor any notice to them.
• When the adoption is of a stepchild, the parental rights of the existing parent who is married to the adopting parent remain in force. There is no termination of their parental rights.
• Only one person (the adopting parent or the person being adopted) needs to live in a California county, which is the county where the Petition for Adoption and related documents will be filed. The non-resident party can live in another state, or even a different country.
• The person being adopted can keep their existing parent rights intact if desired, and not have them terminated by adoption.
• Since there is no home study required, there is no delay while it is being done. This means your attorney can request your hearing date almost immediately upon filing your documents. In some counties, like Los Angeles, the waiting time is usually only 2-6 weeks. Others counties in California average about 2-3 months.
• The person being adopted can also change their name and obtain an amended birth certificate.
• Most adult adoptions are step parent adoptions, where the stepparent is adopting their step child. Often they delayed doing a stepparent adoption when the child was a minor due to the fact the absent parent would not consent to the adoption. So, rather than continue in what might be a contested adoption, they simply wait until the child is 18. At that point, no parental consent to the adoption is required. There is not even any notice to the parent by the court.
• The adoption is finalized before a judge, but the hearing can usually be by video if you prefer.
This was just a quick summary. This page is hosted on our StepparenAdoptionCenter.org website for the convenience of people who research stepparent adoption, then discover if their step child is aged 18 or over, it is actually an adult adoption, which is a different process. We have a dedicated office and website specifically for adult adoption, so to learn more and schedule your free Zoom consultation, please visit our Adult Adoption Center. Or use the options below to learn more.
If you prefer learning by video: