How does termination of parental rights work in Louisiana?

In Louisiana, termination of parental rights for a stepparent adoption is handled inside the adoption case itself. It is not a separate lawsuit, so the District Court in your parish addresses it as part of the adoption under Louisiana Children's Code Title XII.

What termination means: Once the court grants the adoption, the other biological parent's legal relationship with the child ends and the stepparent takes on full parental rights. This is permanent, so it is worth understanding before you begin.

How it works in practice:

• No separate proceeding. Because Louisiana does not require termination to be filed separately, the paperwork, hearing and final decree all happen in the same adoption case.
• Notice to the other parent. Louisiana allows personal service by the sheriff. If the other parent's location is unknown, it allows service by publication after you have made a diligent effort to find them.
• Abandonment. Louisiana sets an abandonment period of 6 months (La. Ch.C. Art. 1245). If you believe this applies to your situation, the specific facts matter, so confirm with the District Court clerk or an attorney how it would apply to you.
• Other grounds. If you are thinking about grounds beyond abandonment, such as neglect or abuse, a family law attorney can tell you whether they fit your circumstances.

Other points that often come up alongside termination:

• Residency: Louisiana has no minimum residency period for filing (La. Ch.C. Art. 1180).
• The child's wishes: Louisiana does not require the child's consent. The court asks for and considers the wishes of a child 12 or older (La. Ch.C. Art. 1253(C)).
• Home study: It is waived in stepparent cases (La. Ch.C. Art. 1252(A)).
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions in Louisiana typically take 3-6 months.
• Cost: Court filing fees generally run $200-$400, and the total typical cost can stay under $1,000 when you prepare and file the paperwork yourself.

When to get individualized help: If the other parent is likely to contest the adoption, or if you do not know who or where the other parent is, how the court will handle your case depends on your specific facts. For those questions, speak with the District Court clerk in your parish or with a Louisiana family law attorney. The clerk can also confirm local filing procedures, forms and any details that vary by court, in places like New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette or Lake Charles.

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. The price is $349 for the first child (or one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents are delivered 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 34,000+ families nationally since 2001.