Step Parent Adoption

When parents divorce and remarry, step parents often become immersed in their step child’s life, acting effectively as the child’s second parent. In some cases, the other biological parent may have been out of the child’s life for many years. It is important for step parents to know that there is a way to have their parental rights legally recognized. Through adoption, a step parent can legally adopt a step child and gain all of the rights and responsibilities of a legal parent.

The difficulty of step parent adoption varies depending on the situation. For a step parent to legally adopt a child, the parent must first and foremost have the custodial parent’s approval. Secondly, the step parent must obtain permission from the child’s noncustodial parent, even if he or she has not been present in the child’s life. When a step parent is granted parental rights, the noncustodial parent will be stripped of his or her parental rights, so his or her permission is especially important in this process.

If you are interested in step parent adoption, it is important to know that you are not alone by any means. Step parent adoption is actually the most common form of adoption in the United States. It is an admirable decision to bring your family closer together and to be recognized legally as the parent that you already are. At Garg & Associates, P.C., our Houston adoption attorneys are committed to answering any questions you may have regarding adoption and are prepared to help you throughout the legal process.

Contact Us

To learn more about step parent adoption and related legal issues, don’t hesitate to contact the experienced Houston adoption lawyers of Garg & Associates, P.C. today at 281-210-0010.