Child

Perfect! So you're looking at about 3 months from filing to finalization for your child's adoption.

A few things that are helpful to know for minor child adoptions:

Background Check: The stepparent will need a background check, which takes about 3-4 weeks to come back. This checks for convictions related to crimes against children. People with past nonviolent offenses can still adopt — the court wants to see that the child will be safe.

Home Study: About half of states allow the home study to be waived for stepparent adoptions. Since you mentioned you're looking at this on our New York page — New York typically allows judges to waive the home study for stepparent cases, especially when the child has been living with the stepparent. If one is required, it's much simpler than foster care adoptions — basically just an interview to confirm you understand the commitment.

The Big Question Most Families Have: Whether the other biological parent needs to consent. Over 80% of the adoptions we complete are WITHOUT the other parent's consent — this is extremely common. If they've abandoned the child (no meaningful contact for the required time period), the court will proceed without their consent. The court wants your child to have two legal parents.

Cost to Budget:

• Our service: $349 for one child
• Court costs: About $300-500 total (filing fees, service, background check)
• Total: Around $650-850 vs. $2,500-$5,000+ with an attorney

Does the other biological parent have regular contact with your child, or has there been a period of no contact?