Can a stepparent adopt without the father's permission in Connecticut?

Sometimes, yes. In Connecticut, a stepparent may be able to adopt without the father's consent if the Probate Court finds he has abandoned the child. Whether that applies to you depends on the facts of your family.

How abandonment works here: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-717 addresses abandonment. Connecticut sets no fixed number of months for it. Instead, abandonment depends on the parent's overall conduct. That means a father who has been out of the picture for a long time is not automatically treated as having abandoned the child, and a short gap is not automatically ruled out. The court looks at the whole picture. Connecticut also does not treat termination of rights as a separate court case from the adoption.

What this means for you:

• You cannot count on a specific time period, so the question is what the father's conduct has actually been.
• If he is cooperative, he may simply agree, which is usually the simplest route.
• If he objects or you are unsure of his position, the outcome is less predictable. Please talk with an attorney about that specific situation.
• If you do not know where he is, the Probate Court clerk in your county or an attorney can tell you what steps are expected for that situation.

Other Connecticut points that matter:

• Court: Your petition goes to the Probate Court.
• Residency: There is no minimum residency period under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-727.
• Child's consent: A child who is 12 or older has a consent role under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-724.
• Home study: It is waived for stepparent adoptions under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-733(a).
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions in Connecticut typically take 3-6 months.

If your child is an adult: Connecticut allows an adult to be adopted by written agreement, and one parent of the adult child may join in the agreement between their spouse and the adult child. In that case, the legal relationship of the parent who does not join ends, but the adoptee keeps inheritance rights from a parent who died before the adoption. The adult adoption statute, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-734, does not list a requirement of consent from the biological parents. The Probate Court must still hold a hearing and approve the agreement. It does so if it finds the two share a relationship similar to that of a parent and an adult child, and that the adoption is in their best interests.

Questions to settle before you file:

• Has the father had contact with the child, and how recently?
• Is he likely to agree, object, or not respond?
• Do you have his current address?

Your Probate Court clerk can confirm local procedures, and an attorney can advise you if the father may contest.