Can I adopt my stepchild if the bio parent only sends texts to my spouse but never contacts the child in Massachusetts?

Possibly, but it depends on the facts. Massachusetts sets no fixed number of months for abandonment, so a parent who only texts your spouse is not judged by a calendar deadline. Under M.G.L. c. 210 § 3, abandonment depends on the parent's overall conduct.

What that means for your situation: Because the court looks at the whole picture, the details of what the biological parent has actually done matter. Your case will turn on facts like these:

• Whether the parent has visited, called, or written to your stepchild directly
• Whether the parent takes part in the child's school, activities, or medical care
• Whether the parent provides any support
• What the texts to your spouse actually say, and whether they involve the child at all

Writing these facts down clearly and honestly, with dates, is the most useful thing you can do. How a judge weighs them in a particular case is something the Probate and Family Court clerk in your county or an attorney can speak to.

Consent still matters. M.G.L. c. 210 § 2 requires written consent from the lawful parents, and from the child if the child is above age 12. If the biological parent is willing to sign, the abandonment question may never come up. If the parent objects, or you can't locate them, your case depends on its facts, and you should talk with an attorney about that specific issue.

Other Massachusetts basics:

• Court: Your petition goes to the Probate and Family Court. The clerk in your county can confirm filing fees and local procedures.
• Residency: Massachusetts has no minimum residency period (M.G.L. c. 210 § 1).
• Home study: It is waived for stepparent adoptions (M.G.L. c. 210 § 5A).
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions here typically take 3-6 months.

How we help: StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your county, including the paperwork that documents the parent's contact history. You then file it yourself, without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents are delivered within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we offer a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 162 Massachusetts families, and 34,000+ families nationally since 2001.