Can I adopt my stepchild who was born in another country in Tennessee?

Yes, you can ask a Tennessee Chancery or Circuit Court to approve a stepparent adoption of a stepchild who was born in another country, and you follow the same Tennessee steps as any other stepparent adoption. A few details tied to the foreign birth, such as paperwork and immigration, depend on your family's facts and are worth confirming early.

Where and how you file:

• The petition is filed in the Chancery or Circuit Court in your county. Tennessee has 95 counties, and the clerk's office can tell you how your local court handles filings.
• Tennessee requires a Petition for Adoption, a sworn statement of financial responsibility, and your spouse's consent to the adoption.
• There is no minimum residency period (Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-115).
• Tennessee doesn't set a minimum length of marriage, though courts generally prefer to see a stable relationship.

Consent and the other parent:

• If your stepchild is 14 or older, their consent is part of the process (Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-117).
• The child's other legal parent is normally part of the picture, either by consenting or through a legal ground such as abandonment. Tennessee's abandonment period is 4 months (Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113).
• Tennessee allows service by publication when you can't locate the other parent after a diligent search. It also allows personal service by a sheriff or process server. If the other parent lives outside the United States, or you don't know where they are, ask the Chancery or Circuit Court clerk or an attorney how service should be handled.

Home study and timeline:

• A home study is waived in Tennessee stepparent adoptions (Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-116).
• The typical stepparent timeline is 3-6 months.

What's different with a foreign-born child:

• You will likely need the child's foreign birth certificate. Whether the court requires a certified English translation or other proof of identity is something the county clerk can confirm.
• Whether the Tennessee Office of Vital Records can issue a new Tennessee birth record for a