Can a stepfather adopt his wife's child in New Jersey?

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

• You are legally married to the child's mother
• You've met the 6-month residency requirement
• The biological father either consents or has abandoned the child (6+ months no meaningful contact)
• A background check is completed
• Home study is waived for stepparents in New Jersey

The process takes 3-6 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 1,204+ families in New Jersey do exactly this.