What is step-parent adoption?
When a parent remarries after the death of a former spouse or after a divorce, the new spouse may desire to formally adopt the child or children of their current spouse. A step-parent may choose to formally adopt a spouse’s child from a prior relationship, but the natural parent must receive notice of the adoption proceeding. The natural parent must consent to the adoption or else must be determined “unfit” before a step-parent adoption will be finalized. A similar protocol applies when a child is born outside marriage, the birth parent later remarries, and the stepparent wants to adopt the child.
