How do I know if I'm eligible for stepparent adoption in Louisiana?

You are likely eligible for stepparent adoption in Louisiana if you are an adult (18 or older), you are married to the child's parent, Louisiana is your permanent home, and the child's other parent either consents or has abandoned the child. Here is how Louisiana handles each piece.

Where you file: Your case goes to the District Court in your parish. Louisiana has 64 parishes, including those around New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette and Lake Charles. The governing law is Louisiana Children's Code Title XII, and a stepparent adoption is filed as an intrafamily adoption with a Petition for Intrafamily Adoption.

Residency: Louisiana has no minimum length of residency, so you do not have to live in the state for a set period before filing (La. Ch.C. Art. 1180). You do need to be domiciled in Louisiana, which means your permanent home is here. If you have recently moved or split your time between states, the District Court clerk in your parish can tell you how domicile applies to you.

Your spouse's part: Your spouse, the child's parent, gives consent to the adoption. You also file a sworn statement of financial responsibility.

The child's wishes: Louisiana does not require the child's consent. The court does ask for and consider the wishes of a child who is 12 or older (La. Ch.C. Art. 1253(C)).

The other biological parent: This is the part that most depends on your facts.

• If the other parent is willing, their consent is the simplest route.
• If the other parent has abandoned the child, Louisiana addresses this in La. Ch.C. Art. 1245, which uses a period of 6 months.
• If you do not know where the other parent is, Louisiana allows service by publication after you have made a diligent effort to find them. If the location is known, service can be made personally by the sheriff.
• Termination of parental rights is not handled as a separate case in this process.

If the other parent objects, or you are unsure whether the facts meet the abandonment standard, ask an attorney or the District Court clerk about your specific situation.

Home study: Louisiana waives the home study for stepparent adoptions (La. Ch.C. Art. 1252(A)), so you are not required to schedule one.

Other questions: Whether a past criminal record, immigration status, a child born abroad, or a parent living out of state affects your eligibility depends on the details. The District Court clerk or an attorney can confirm those points for your case.

What to expect: Court filing fees typically run $200-$400, and the total typical cost is under $1,000, compared with $3,000-$5,000+ for an attorney. A stepparent adoption in Louisiana generally takes 3-6 months.

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 parish. You then file it yourself without an attorney. Our price is $349 for the first child, or for one adult adoptee, and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 881 Louisiana families, and more than 34,000 families nationwide since 2001.