Can a step-grandparent adopt a grandchild in Michigan?

Possibly, but it depends on your family's facts. Michigan law lets a person petition to adopt "a child or an adult" (MCL § 710.24(1)), and the adoption statute sections we reviewed state no minimum age for the adopter and no required age gap. Whether a step-grandparent can use the streamlined stepparent process is a separate question. Please confirm it with the Family Division of Circuit Court clerk in your county or with an attorney before you file.

Why the step-grandparent role needs a closer look: Stepparent adoption is built around the spouse of a child's parent. A step-grandparent is married to the child's grandparent, so your situation may be handled differently. If you are also married to one of the child's parents, you may be in the stepparent situation instead. The clerk or an attorney can tell you which applies.

What applies to Michigan adoptions generally:

• Court: Petitions are filed in the Family Division of Circuit Court (Family Court) in one of Michigan's 83 counties.
• Residency: Michigan has no minimum residency period (MCL § 710.24(1)).
• Child's consent: A child who is 14 or older must consent (MCL § 710.43).
• Abandonment: The abandonment period in Michigan law is 24 months (MCL § 710.51). Whether it applies, and how the court treats a parent who is absent, unknown or opposed, depends on the facts. Ask an attorney about that specific issue.
• Home study: Michigan's home study rule is in MCL § 710.46. A home study is not automatically waived. In stepparent adoptions, the court may waive it when that is in the child's best interest. Ask the clerk whether that option is open in your case.

If your grandchild is an adult: Michigan law allows adult adoption, and adult adoptees are 18 or older.

• The adult's own consent is necessary. The adult's parents must be given notice as interested parties, but their consent is not required.
• If you are married, you normally file together with your spouse. The court may allow a married person to adopt an adult without the spouse joining if all interested parties consent.
• The court's written investigation report must be filed before an adult adoption order is entered.
• Adult adoptions typically take 4-8