Can the biological parent request visitation after adoption in Washington?

Whether a biological parent can ask for visitation after a Washington stepparent adoption depends on the final adoption decree entered by your county's Superior Court. How that decree applies to your family is worth confirming with an attorney or the Superior Court clerk before you file, because it turns on the facts of your situation.

Why the decree matters: The adoption is finalized when the Superior Court enters the decree. What a biological parent can or cannot ask a court for afterward flows from that order. Washington's adoption law is in Revised Code of Washington Chapter 26.33. If this question is driving your decision, ask an attorney to explain how the decree would apply to your family, including any questions about contact with the biological parent or the child's extended family.

What the biological parent's role looks like before the decree: This is where Washington's rules directly come into play.

• Consent: Under RCW 26.33.160, a parent's consent is generally part of the process when the child is under 18. The child's own consent is required at age 14 and older.
• Abandonment: If the other parent has not been involved and has not consented, abandonment under RCW § 26.33.120 may come into play. Washington sets no fixed number of months. The court looks at the parent's overall conduct.
• Sporadic support: Occasional child support payments do not by themselves prevent an abandonment finding if the parent has not maintained meaningful contact. Courts look at the overall relationship, not only money.
• Contested situations: If the other parent objects, cannot be found, or has recently re-entered the child's life, how the court handles it depends on the facts. An attorney or the Superior Court clerk can advise on that specific issue.

Informal contact: Many families think about whether contact will continue after adoption. That is a family decision to plan for, and an attorney can help you understand your options before you file.

What to expect from the process:

• Court: Superior Court in your county.
• Timeline: A stepparent adoption typically takes 3-6 months.
• Court filing fee: Typically $200-$500, and the total cost is typically under $1,000, compared with $3,000-$5,000+ for an attorney.
• Vital records: After the decree, the Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics handles the records side.

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 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 back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 1104 Washington families and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.