Are there any special requirements for adoption in Louisiana?

Yes, Louisiana has a few requirements to know about, but the process is manageable for stepparent families. Stepparent adoptions are filed in the District Court in your parish, and the rules are in the Louisiana Children's Code Title XII. Louisiana has 64 parishes, so local filing details can vary.

Residency: Louisiana has no minimum residency period. You must be domiciled in the state, meaning Louisiana is your permanent home (La. Ch.C. Art. 1180).

The child's wishes: Louisiana does not require the child's consent. The court does ask for and consider the wishes of a child 12 or older (La. Ch.C. Art. 1253(C)).

Home study: A home study is waived for stepparent adoptions (La. Ch.C. Art. 1252(A)). That removes a step that can add time and cost in other kinds of adoption.

Paperwork: A Louisiana stepparent adoption typically involves these documents:

• A Petition for Intrafamily Adoption
• A sworn statement of financial responsibility
• Your spouse's consent to the adoption

Notifying the other parent: Louisiana allows personal service by the sheriff. If the other parent's location is unknown, service by publication is allowed after due diligence in trying to find them.

Abandonment: Louisiana's abandonment period is 6 months (La. Ch.C. Art. 1245). Whether it applies to your family depends on your specific facts. If the other parent is absent, unknown or likely to object, ask the District Court clerk in your parish or an attorney about that issue.

Timeline and cost:

• A stepparent adoption in Louisiana typically takes 3-6 months. An adult adoption typically takes 4-8 weeks.
• Court filing fees run about $200-$400.
• The total cost is typically under $1,000 when you handle the filing yourself, compared with $3,000-$5,000+ for an attorney.

Louisiana's civil law heritage gives stepparent adoption a clear path, but some details depend on your family's situation, such as the other parent's rights or any dispute. Your parish's District Court clerk can confirm local filing procedures, and an attorney can advise on anything specific to your case.

How we help: StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your parish. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child (or one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents are delivered within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 881 families in Louisiana and more than 34,000 families nationwide since 2001.