Can my spouse adopt my child from a previous relationship in Washington?

Yes, in Washington your spouse can ask the Superior Court to adopt your child from a previous relationship. This is what a stepparent adoption is for, and the process runs through the Superior Court in your county.

What Washington asks of you and your spouse:

• Residency: Washington sets no minimum residency period (RCW 26.33.030).
• Marriage length: Washington doesn't specify a minimum marriage duration.
• Adopting parent's age: Any legally competent person who is 18 or older may be an adoptive parent (RCW 26.33.140(2)).
• Background check: Washington requires criminal background checks for adoptive parents.
• Your child's consent: The consent age is 14 (RCW § 26.33.160), so a child who is 14 or older takes part in the decision.

The other biological parent: This is usually the biggest question. If the other parent agrees, the process is more straightforward. If that parent has been absent, an adoption can proceed on the basis of abandonment (RCW § 26.33.120). Washington sets no fixed number of months, because abandonment depends on the parent's overall conduct. Years of non-involvement typically support an abandonment finding. Sporadic child support doesn't prevent that finding if the parent hasn't kept up meaningful contact, since courts look at the whole relationship and not only money. If the other parent may contest the adoption, or you don't know where that parent is, the outcome depends on your specific facts. Ask the Superior Court clerk in your county or an attorney about that issue.

Home study: Washington does not automatically waive the home study for stepparent adoptions (RCW 26.33.220). A court may waive it in some stepparent situations, so ask the clerk how your county handles it.

Timeline and cost:

• A stepparent adoption in Washington typically takes 3-6 months.
• Court filing fees run about $200-$500.
• The total typically comes to under $1,000 when you prepare the paperwork yourself, compared with $3,000-$5,000+ for an attorney.

Why it matters: Once the adoption is final, your spouse becomes your child's legal parent. Families often look to this for legal decision-making security, Social Security survivor benefits, and the emotional security of a unified family.

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. You file it yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 1,104 Washington families, and 34,000+ families nationally since 2001.