At what age does my child need to consent to adoption in Arkansas?

In Arkansas, the age for a child's consent to an adoption is 12 (A.C.A. § 9-9-206). The old figure of 10 sometimes quoted is not what Arkansas lists, so use 12 when you plan your case.

What this means for your family

• If your child is 12 or older, plan on your child's consent being part of the adoption paperwork filed with the Circuit Court in your county.
• If your child is younger than 12, ask the Circuit Court clerk in your county how your child's situation is handled, including what happens if your child turns 12 while the case is pending.
• Your child's exact birthday matters here, so have it ready when you call the clerk.

If the person being adopted is an adult

Arkansas treats anyone 18 or older as an adult. For an adult adoption, a petition may be granted only if written consent has been signed by the adult and the adult's spouse (A.C.A. § 9-9-206). The adult and the petitioner must also appear at the hearing unless the court excuses either one for good cause.

Other consents are separate

The child's consent is only one piece of the consent picture. An Arkansas stepparent adoption package includes a Petition for Adoption, consent forms or grounds for waiver, and the spouse's consent to the adoption. Whether another parent's consent is needed, or can be waived, depends on the facts of your family. Arkansas has a 12-month abandonment period in A.C.A. § 9-9-207, but whether it applies to you is a question for the Circuit Court clerk or an attorney who can look at your specific situation. That is especially true if the other parent is unknown, unreachable, or likely to contest.

What to expect

• Court: Your petition is filed in the Circuit Court in your county. Arkansas has 75 counties, and each clerk's office can tell you about local filing steps.
• Filing fee: Court filing fees typically run $150-$300, and the total typical cost of a stepparent adoption done without an attorney is under $1,000, compared with $3,000-$5,000+ for attorney representation.
• Home study: It is waived for stepparent adoptions in Arkansas (A.C.A. § 9-9-212).
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions generally take 3-6 months.

Talking with your child

Whatever your child's age, it helps to explain in simple words what adoption means and that the judge wants the decision to be a happy one for the whole family. Kids often feel proud to be part of the day.

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 county, including the consent forms. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child and $99 for each additional child, and your court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions. We come with a 100% court acceptance guarantee, and we have helped 814 Arkansas families, and more than 34,000 families nationwide since 2001.