Do I need the biological father's consent for stepparent adoption in Vermont?

In most cases, no. Over 80% of the 34,000+ adoptions we've helped complete were finalized without the other parent's consent.

In Vermont, if the biological parent has had no meaningful contact with the child for 12 months or more, the court may consider this abandonment under 15A V.S.A. § 3-504. This is extremely common — over 80% of the 34,000+ adoptions we've helped complete were finalized without the other parent's consent.

Important: "Token contact" like an occasional phone call or one brief visit does NOT count as meaningful contact. And paying child support does NOT negate abandonment — abandonment is about the relationship with the child, not financial obligations. The termination of parental rights can be handled within the same adoption proceeding.

If the biological father does agree to the adoption, he can sign a voluntary consent form, which makes the process simpler and sometimes faster. But even without consent, the adoption can and usually does proceed based on abandonment.

We include all the necessary documents — whether for consensual adoption or abandonment-based adoption — in your package.