Can my stepchild keep their current last name after adoption in Maryland?

Yes, in Maryland the child's name is something you address as part of the adoption, so keeping your stepchild's current last name is a choice you can put before the Circuit Court. Maryland allows name changes as part of the adoption process, which means the name is a decision for your family rather than something the adoption forces.

Name choices families commonly talk about:

• Keep the current last name.
• Take the stepparent's last name.
• Combine the two last names with a hyphen.
• Change a first or middle name as well.

The Circuit Court in your county issues the final adoption order, so the clerk can confirm exactly how the name should be written on the petition, especially if you want an unusual combination.

Why some families keep the current name:

• An older child may strongly identify with their name.
• The child may ask to keep it.
• You may want to honor the other parent's family, particularly if that parent has passed away.
• It can avoid confusion with school records and friends.
• The child may prefer to decide about a change on their own later.

Where the child's wishes fit in: Maryland has a consent provision for a child who is 10 or older, found at Md. Code Fam. Law § 5-3B-20(b)(1)(ii). Even if your child is younger, it helps to talk with them about the name before you file. How a child's preference about a name is handled in a particular case is worth confirming with the Circuit Court clerk or an attorney.

What happens after the adoption: Birth record changes go through the Maryland Division of Vital Records. The name you choose in the adoption is the name you will want reflected there. Ask that agency about its current steps, fees and processing time for an updated certificate. A stepparent adoption in Maryland typically takes about 3-6 months, and the name decision is part of that same case, not a separate filing.

Costs: Court filing fees in Maryland typically run $200-$500, and the total cost of a stepparent adoption is typically under $1,000 when you file without an attorney, compared with $3,000-$5,000+ for attorney representation. Keeping the current name versus changing it does not change the price of our service.

If your situation is complicated: If the other parent disputes the adoption, cannot be located, or disagrees about the name, how that plays out depends on your specific facts.