Can I attend the adoption hearing virtually in Washington?

Whether you can attend your Washington adoption hearing by video or phone is up to the Superior Court in the county where you file, so you should ask that court's clerk before you plan around it. Washington has 39 counties, and each Superior Court sets up its own courtroom procedures. Don't assume your court will offer a remote option, and don't assume it won't.

What the hearing is: The Superior Court schedules a hearing on your petition, and the adoption decree is entered after that hearing (RCW 26.33.240). Judges can differ in how they run these hearings, which is why a local answer matters.

Questions to ask the Superior Court clerk:

• Does this court allow remote appearances for adoption hearings, by video or by phone?
• Do I need to file a written request, and by when?
• Can the adopting stepparent appear remotely? What about the child's parent, who is your spouse?
• If our child is 14 or older, can the child's consent be given remotely, or does the judge want the child in the courtroom? Washington requires the consent of a child who is 14 or older (RCW § 26.33.160).
• What technology does the court use, and is there a way to test it beforehand?

If the court requires you to attend in person, ask whether the hearing can be set for a date that works with your travel plans. If you live far from the court, raise that when you first call the clerk.

Other points that may affect your hearing date:

• Washington has no minimum residency period for stepparent adoption.
• If the other parent's rights are involved, the court looks at the parent's overall conduct, because Washington sets no fixed number of months for abandonment (RCW § 26.33.120). That can affect how your case is scheduled and whether anyone else must be notified. If your situation is contested or the other parent can't be found, the clerk or an attorney can tell you how it applies to you.
• A home study may be part of your case (RCW 26.33.220). Ask the clerk whether your court requires one, since that can affect timing.
• Stepparent adoptions in Washington typically take 3-6 months, so you have time to sort out the hearing format early.

Our suggestion: Call the clerk when you are ready to file, and ask about remote appearances then. If the court allows them, ask how to request one. If it doesn't, you'll have plenty of notice to arrange travel. Either way, the finalization hearing is where the judge signs your decree, and many families like to be there in person if they can.

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, ready within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The cost is $349 for the first child and $99 for each additional child, and we back it with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 1104 Washington families and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.