Do you want your husband or wife to become the legal parent of your child? There are many reasons people consider stepparent adoption, including formalizing an already existing parental-like relationship, desire to cover a child with the stepparent’s health insurance, inheritance issues and allowing the adoptive parent the ability to legally parent the child, should the other parent pass away.

Florida adoption law allows for a simplified procedure for adoption by a stepparent and a home study is not required. The adopting parent must be a legal stepparent, they must be legally married to the parent of the child they desire to adopt.

Normally the child’s other legal parent must consent, but there are situations where a Florida stepparent adoption may be granted without the other parent’s consent. If the noncustodial parent has abandoned the child or is otherwise deemed to have waived their consent or is deemed unfit, it may be possible for the Florida stepparent to proceed without that parent’s consent. Often a parent will agree to consent to the adoption and terminate their rights, to eliminate their child support obligation. Their cooperation and consent to the stepparent adoption will help reduce the costs of the adoption.

A Florida Stepparent Adoption involves terminating the rights of only one parent, while the spouse of the stepparent adopting maintains parental rights. As a result of a stepparent adoption, the adopting parent will become a full legal parent, as if the child was born of his or her marriage.

The Federal Adoption Tax Credit is not available in Stepparent adoption.

The Florida Adoption lawyers at The Adoption Law Offices of Madonna M. Finney are experienced in assisting families with stepparent adoption. The advice of an experienced stepparent adoption lawyer can be invaluable. We prepare the court documents, attend all hearings before the judge, obtain the new birth certificate and advise you along the way. Our firm has been providing comprehensive representation in all aspects of the stepparent adoption for more than 20 years. Madonna is the Panhandle’s only Board Certified Adoption Lawyer, recognized by the Florida Bar as an expert in adoption law. Her firm handles Stepparent adoptions in Tallahassee, Quincy, Hosford, Monticello, Crawfordville, Apalachicola, Carabelle, Wakulla, Jefferson and Franklin counties. Call the Florida Adoption Law Firm of Madonna M. Finney to learn more about the process of adopting a stepchild in Florida. Call us at (850)577-3077 for more information.