How do I adopt my stepson or stepdaughter in Michigan?

You adopt your stepchild in Michigan by filing a petition in the Family Division of Circuit Court (the Family Court) in your county, completing the court's review, and getting the court's approval. Michigan allows you to do this without an attorney, and the process typically takes 3-6 months.

Where you file: Michigan has 83 counties, and each has its own Family Court. Your county's court clerk can tell you about local filing procedures. The adoption law is found in Michigan Compiled Laws Chapter 710.

Residency: Michigan has no minimum residency period (MCL § 710.24(1)). The court can grant the adoption as long as you, your spouse, or the child is a Michigan resident. The other parent living in another state doesn't prevent the adoption.

The basic steps:

• Confirm you're eligible. You should be married to the child's parent, and Michigan allows stepparent adoption for same-sex couples as well as opposite-sex couples.
• Gather the consents. The child's consent age in Michigan is 14 (MCL § 710.43). The other legal parent's position matters too, as described below.
• Prepare and file your petition. You can include more than one stepchild in a single petition.
• Complete the background check and home study. Michigan requires a criminal background check, though minor infractions rarely prevent approval. The home study is not automatically waived (MCL § 710.46). Michigan allows courts to waive it in some stepparent adoptions when that's in the child's best interest, so ask the clerk how your court handles it.
• Receive the court's decision. The court reviews your case and enters the adoption order.

If the other parent won't agree: Michigan's abandonment period is 24 months (MCL § 710.51), and termination of the other parent's rights is not a separate step. Whether your situation qualifies depends on the facts. Child support payments alone don't prevent an abandonment finding, because the court looks at the whole relationship, including contact, emotional support, and genuine interest in the child. If the other parent objects or can't be located, talk to the court clerk or an attorney about your specific circumstances.

What it costs: Court filing fees typically run $200-$500 in Michigan, and the total typical cost is under $1,000 when you handle the filing yourself. Attorney-handled adoptions commonly run $3,000-$5,000+.