How does termination of parental rights work in Washington?

In Washington, ending the other parent's rights in a stepparent adoption is generally handled as part of the adoption case in your county's Superior Court, not as a separate lawsuit. You ask the court to approve the adoption, and the question of the other parent's rights is addressed in that same process.

Where it happens: Your case is filed in the Superior Court in your county. Washington has 39 counties, and each clerk's office can tell you about local filing steps. The filing fee typically falls in the $200-$500 range, and the whole process usually takes about 3-6 months.

Consent versus abandonment: There are two common paths:

• The other parent agrees. A parent who is involved and willing to cooperate can give their consent to the adoption.
• The other parent is absent. Washington does not set a fixed number of months for abandonment. Under RCW § 26.33.120, the court looks at the parent's overall conduct.

What "overall conduct" means for you: Because there is no countdown clock, no particular number of months automatically qualifies or disqualifies a case. Years of non-involvement typically support an abandonment finding. Sporadic child support does not prevent one if the parent hasn't maintained meaningful contact with the child, because the court looks at the whole relationship, not just money.

If your child is 14 or older: Washington requires the child's own consent at age 14 (RCW § 26.33.160). Younger children do not have this consent requirement.

Residency: Washington has no minimum residency period, so you do not need to have lived in the state for a set length of time before filing (RCW 26.33.030).

Termination is permanent: Once the court grants the adoption, the other parent's legal relationship with the child ends and is replaced by the stepparent's full parental rights. That is why the court takes this step seriously and why the paperwork has to be accurate and complete.

When to get extra help: Every family's situation is different. If the other parent is likely to contest the adoption, if you don't know where they are, or if you are unsure whether your facts amount to abandonment, ask the Superior Court clerk in your county about procedure and consider speaking with an attorney about your specific situation. Details this page doesn't cover, such as how notice must be given to a parent you cannot locate, are best confirmed with the clerk.

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 county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. Court-ready documents are delivered within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. The price is $349 for the first child (or one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. We have helped 1104 Washington families, and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.