Can a stepfather adopt his wife's child in California?

Yes! This is the most common scenario we help with. A stepfather can adopt his wife's child in California as long as:

• You are legally married to the child's mother
• You've met the 0-month residency requirement
• The biological father either consents or has abandoned the child (12+ months no meaningful contact)
• A background check is completed
• Home study is waived for stepparents in California

The process takes 3 months from filing to finalization in Superior Court. Our cost is $349 for complete document preparation.

This is what stepparent adoption was designed for. We've helped 1,219+ families in California do exactly this.