How do I file for stepparent adoption in Washington, Washington DC?

You file for stepparent adoption in Washington DC by submitting an adoption petition to the Superior Court, along with the required consents and supporting paperwork. You can do this yourself, without an attorney, if your case is uncontested.

Where to file: Washington DC has a single court system for this, so you file in the Superior Court. It makes no difference whether you live in Georgetown, Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan or elsewhere in the District.

Who files: The stepparent is the one who petitions. A petitioner's spouse must join the petition, except that a spouse who is the child's natural parent only needs to consent (D.C. Code § 16-302).

What you'll need to put together:

• The petition: This is the court document asking for the adoption decree.
• Written consents: Consents must be in writing and acknowledged before an authorized officer (D.C. Code § 16-304). Your spouse, the child's parent, will give consent.
• The child's consent if 14 or older: A child who is 14 or older must consent to the adoption (D.C. Code § 16-304).
• The other legal parent: If the child's other parent is involved, their consent is part of the process. If that parent has abandoned the child, Washington DC uses a 6-month abandonment period (D.C. Code § 16-304). Contested cases, or situations where the other parent can't be found, depend on your specific facts, so ask the Superior Court clerk or an attorney about your situation.

Residency: Washington DC does not set a minimum residency period for filing (D.C. Code § 16-301(b)).

Home study: For a stepparent adoption, the home study is waived (D.C. Code § 16-308(a)(2)). That removes a step that often adds time and expense in other places.

Termination of rights: In Washington DC, termination of the other parent's rights is not handled as a separate case.

Timeline: Stepparent adoptions in Washington DC typically take 3-6 months. The pace depends on the court's schedule and on whether everyone's consents are in order.

Court fees: The Superior Court sets its own filing fees, and they can change, so confirm the current amount with the clerk before you file.

After the adoption: Once you have the final decree, you can contact the DC Department of Health Vital Records about updating the child's birth record.

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 Washington DC. You then file it yourself without an attorney. Our fee is $349 for the first child, plus $99 for each additional child.