Can I adopt multiple stepchildren at once in Louisiana?

Yes, you can ask to adopt more than one stepchild in Louisiana, and we prepare the court documents for all of the children together in one package. Stepparent adoptions here go through the District Court in your parish, under Louisiana Children's Code Title XII.

What stays the same with more than one child:

• Residency: Louisiana has no minimum residency period (La. Ch.C. Art. 1180).
• Home study: It is waived for stepparent adoptions (La. Ch.C. Art. 1252(A)).
• Child's consent: Louisiana does not require a child's consent. The court asks for and considers the wishes of a child 12 or older (La. Ch.C. Art. 1253(C)). With several children, that applies to each child who is 12 or older.
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions in Louisiana typically take 3-6 months.

Where your situation may differ child by child: If your stepchildren share the same other biological parent, the paperwork is usually simpler to think through. If they have different other parents, or the other parent's rights are at issue, each child's circumstances matter. Louisiana's abandonment period is 6 months (La. Ch.C. Art. 1245), but whether it applies to your family depends on the facts. For a contested case, an unknown or missing parent, or children with different legal situations, ask an attorney or the District Court clerk in your parish.

Questions for the clerk: The details of how a particular District Court handles several children together are worth confirming with the clerk in your parish before you file. These include:

• Whether the children are covered by one petition or by separate filings.
• Whether the court sets one hearing or more than one.
• Whether the filing fee changes with the number of children.

The court filing fee generally runs $200-$400.

What Louisiana asks for: The filing starts with a Petition for Intrafamily Adoption, and the paperwork includes a sworn statement of financial responsibility. Your package needs to be accurate for every child, so give each child's details carefully when you answer the questions.

Cost: Total cost for a typical stepparent adoption in Louisiana is under $1,000, compared with $3,000-$5,000+ for an attorney. That comparison is for a typical case, so a complicated or contested one may cost more.

How we help: StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm.