Can a step-grandparent adopt a grandchild in Hawaii?

Whether a step-grandparent can adopt a grandchild in Hawaii is a question to confirm with the Family Court clerk or an attorney, because the answer depends on your family's exact situation. Adoptions in Hawaii are filed in Family Court under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 578. Below is what we can tell you with confidence about that process.

Why your situation matters:

• If you are married to the grandchild's parent, you may be in a stepparent-adoption situation rather than a grandparent one.
• If you are the step-grandparent through a marriage to the child's grandparent, your route may be different.
• Whether a parent is living, consenting, absent or contesting the adoption can change what the court needs. For any contested case or a parent whose whereabouts are unknown, ask an attorney about that specific issue.

What Hawaii law says that applies to adoption petitions:

• Residency: Hawaii has no minimum residency period (HRS § 578-1).
• Child's consent: A child who is 10 or older must be asked to consent (HRS § 578-2).
• Abandonment: The abandonment period is 12 months (HRS § 578-2). Whether it fits your family depends on the facts, so the clerk or an attorney can tell you how it would apply.
• Home study: Hawaii does not waive the home study (HRS § 578-8). Plan on it being part of your case.
• Separate termination step: Hawaii does not require a separate termination proceeding.

Timing: Our stepparent adoptions in Hawaii run about 3-6 months. If your grandchild is an adult, our adult adoption timeline is 4-8 weeks, but ask the Family Court clerk whether an adult adoption fits your relationship. For a step-grandparent adoption specifically, the clerk can give you a realistic timeline for your county.

Fees and records: The Family Court filing fee is set by the court, so the clerk in your county can give you the current amount. For birth records, the agency to contact is the Hawaii State Department of Health Office of Health Status Monitoring.