Florida Stepparent Adoption Cost 2026: Complete Guide

The short answer: a Florida stepparent adoption costs far less than most families expect. With StepParent Adoption 360, the document package is $349. On top of that you pay the clerk's filing fee (Manatee County, for example, lists $400 for a joint petition for stepparent adoption), plus service or publication and certified copies. Florida law doesn't require a home study for a stepparent unless the court orders one. And in most cases the father never signs a consent, and the judge approves the adoption anyway. In our experience, about 80% of the stepparent adoptions we've completed went forward without the other biological parent's consent.

Florida Stepparent Adoption Costs at a Glance

Cost item	What to expect in 2026
StepParent Adoption 360 document package	$349
Clerk's filing fee	Set by statute and by your county clerk; Manatee County lists $400 for a joint petition for stepparent adoption
Service on the other parent	Sheriff's or process server's fee; varies by county
Publication (if he can't be found)	Newspaper's charge; varies by county
Certified copies of the final judgment	Small per-copy clerk charge
Home study	Not required for a stepparent unless the court orders one for good cause
Attorney	Optional; most stepparent cases don't need one

Fees change, and each county clerk sets its own charges within the state's limits. Call your clerk to confirm current amounts before you file.

What Florida Law Says About Stepparent Adoption

Florida's adoption law is in Chapter 63 of the Florida Statutes, and it treats stepparents more simply than other adoptive parents:

• A stepparent can file the adoption petition directly, without first getting a separate judgment terminating the other parent's rights (Fla. Stat. § 63.102).
• No preliminary home study is required when the petitioner is a stepparent, unless the court requires one for good cause (§ 63.092). The petition doesn't need a home study attached either (§ 63.112).
• If every required consent is already filed, the hearing can be held right after the petition is filed (§ 63.122).

Those rules are a big part of why a stepparent adoption in Florida costs a fraction of an agency adoption.

Does the Other Parent Have to Consent?

Often, no. Florida lists the situations where the court can terminate a parent's rights and move forward without a signed consent (Fla. Stat. § 63.089). For stepparent families, the most common are:

• Abandonment. Florida defines it as a parent who, "while being able, makes little or no provision for the child's support or makes little or no effort to communicate with the child." The statute adds that "only marginal efforts" can still count as abandonment (§ 63.032).
• He was served and didn't respond. A parent who is properly served and doesn't file a written answer or appear at the hearing.
• He is unreasonably withholding consent, as the court finds after reviewing his written reasons.

Florida's abandonment definition doesn't set a fixed number of months. The court looks at the parent's actual efforts to support and communicate. A card here and there doesn't make up for years of absence. That's why, in Florida as elsewhere, so many of our families' adoptions go forward without the other parent's signature.

Breaking Down Each Cost

1. Document preparation: $349

Our package covers the petition and the supporting papers your situation calls for: consent forms when the other parent is willing, or the papers Florida uses when his consent isn't needed. You also get step-by-step filing instructions. It's built from your answers to a guided questionnaire.

2. The clerk's filing fee

Florida adoptions are filed in the circuit court. State law sets the maximum basic filing fees clerks can charge (Fla. Stat. § 28.241), and each clerk publishes a fee schedule. As one real example, the Manatee County Clerk lists $400 to file a joint petition for stepparent adoption. Your county may differ slightly, so check your clerk's fee page or call before you go.

3. Home study: usually $0

Florida's statute exempts stepparents from the preliminary home study unless the court requires one for good cause (§ 63.092). Most stepparent families never pay for one.

4. Service or publication

If the other parent hasn't signed a consent, he must be formally served. If you know where he is, a sheriff or process server delivers the papers for a fee. If you don't know where he is, Florida's adoption statute describes a thorough diligent search. It covers postal records, last employer, relatives, phone listings, law enforcement and corrections records, utility records and an internet locator service. After that search, notice is published in the county where he was last known to live (§ 63.088). The newspaper charges for publication.

5. Certified copies and the new birth certificate

After the final judgment, order several certified copies from the clerk for school, medical, insurance and Social Security records. Within 30 days, the clerk sends a certified statement of the adoption to the state registrar of vital statistics, and a new birth record is issued when you apply (§ 63.152). The vital records office charges its own fee for certificates.

Do I Need an Attorney for a Florida Stepparent Adoption?

Not for most families. Florida courts allow people to represent themselves, and a stepparent adoption with properly prepared documents is very manageable on your own. Skipping a full-service attorney is the single biggest cost saving available. If the other parent actively contests the adoption, that's the time to talk with a local family law attorney.

How Long Does It Take?

Many uncontested adoptions finish within a few months. The county court calendar and any publication period set the pace. When every required consent is already filed, Florida allows a stepparent's hearing right after the petition is filed (§ 63.122). When the other parent hasn't consented, Florida's adoption statute calls for personal service on a parent whose location is known at least 20 days before the termination hearing (§ 63.088), so plan for that window.

Practical Tips to Keep Costs Down

1. Confirm the fee with your clerk first so there are no surprises at the counter.
2. Ask the other parent to sign, if he's willing. A filed consent is the fastest, cheapest route.
3. If he's missing, do the diligent search carefully and keep notes. A thorough search makes publication go smoothly.
4. Order enough certified copies at once so you don't make extra trips.
5. Remember your stepchild's consent. Florida requires the consent of a child who is 12 or older, unless the court finds it's in the child's best interest to dispense with it (§ 63.062).

For the rest of Florida's process, see our Florida guide and our Florida do-it-yourself guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a stepparent adoption cost in Florida?

Our document package is $349. Add the clerk's filing fee (Manatee County, for example, lists $400 for a joint petition for stepparent adoption), service or publication if needed, and certified copies. Most families don't pay for a home study, because Florida doesn't require one for stepparents unless the court orders it.

Can I adopt my stepchild in Florida if the other parent is out of the picture?

Yes. If he made little or no effort to support or communicate with the child while he was able to, Florida treats that as abandonment, and the court can terminate his rights without his consent. A parent who is served and doesn't respond can also have his rights terminated.

Do I need a home study to adopt my stepchild in Florida?

Usually not. Under Fla. Stat. § 63.092, a stepparent doesn't need a preliminary home study unless the court requires one for good cause.

What if I don't know where the other parent is?

Complete a diligent search, file an affidavit describing it, and give notice by publication in the county where he last lived. If he doesn't respond, the case moves forward.

Does my stepchild need to agree to be adopted in Florida?

If your stepchild is 12 or older, yes. Florida requires the child's consent unless the court dispenses with it in the child's best interest.

How much does it cost without a lawyer?

Without an attorney, your main costs are the $349 document package, the clerk's filing fee, service or publication, and certified copies. That's a fraction of full-service attorney fees.

About the Author

Doug Brown, Founder. Doug Brown has helped families prepare stepparent and adult adoption paperwork since 2001: more than 34,000 families in all 50 states. StepParent Adoption 360 is a document-preparation service, not a law firm, and doesn't give legal advice.

Sources: Fla. Stat. §§ 28.241, 63.032, 63.062, 63.088, 63.089, 63.092, 63.102, 63.112, 63.122 and 63.152; Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court, department fee listing (joint petition for stepparent adoption). Company figures (34,000+ families since 2001; about 80% of completed adoptions without the other parent's consent) are from our own records.