Stepparent Adoptions

Indiana Stepparent Adoption Attorneys

Bringing Families Together to Through Adoption

Joel and Steven Kirsh have spent 20+ years working to build family bonds through stepparent adoption and have handled hundreds of stepparent adoptions in addition to the newborn adoptions which they handle. Kirsh & Kirsh is the only Indiana law firm, and one of the few in the country, dedicated solely to adoption law.

Stepparent Adoptions

Most Indiana stepparent adoptions occur when a divorced parent remarries and their new spouse adopts a child from a previous marriage. It is also common for a stepparent to adopt a child born out of wedlock.

There are many reasons why couples hire an Indiana adoption attorney to handle stepparent adoption, some are financial, some are for inheritance issues, and other simply what to create the family bond of being the legal parent of the child.

Consent of the Non-Custodial Parent

In most cases, the divorced parent must obtain the consent of the biological father or mother before a stepparent can adopt a child. However, this is not always necessary. Indiana adoption law has provisions by which a stepparent can adopt a child without the consent of the non-custodial, biological parent. Steve and Joel Kirsh can provide guidance on how to best accomplish a stepparent adoption.

No consent is necessary in a stepparent adoption if any one of the following four circumstances apply:

1. The non-custodial parent has abandoned the child for more than six months.
2. The non-custodial parent has failed to support the child for more than one year or failed to make court-ordered, child support payments.
3. The non-custodial parent has failed to significantly communicate with the child for more than one year.
4. The non-custodial parent is unfit to parent the child, issues such as drug abuse, mental illness, or imprisonment may indicate unfitness.

Contact Kirsh & Kirsh

If you are considering an Indiana, stepparent adoption, please contact Kirsh & Kirsh. We will help you though the stepparent adoption process, and if necessary, go to court to prove that the consent of the non-custodial parent is not necessary. We are the only adoption attorneys in Indiana, and among the few in entire country, dedicated solely to adoptions. We would like to let our experience work for you.