My husband was listed as father on the birth certificate but he's not the biological father — what does this mean for adoption in Washington?

Whether your husband's name on the birth certificate settles his legal status in your situation is something to confirm with the Superior Court clerk in your county or an attorney, because it depends on the facts of your family. If you want his role as your child's parent secured, a stepparent adoption is filed in Washington's Superior Court under Revised Code of Washington Chapter 26.33.

What we can say about the birth certificate: The Washington State Department of Health Center for Health Statistics is the state's vital statistics agency, and it can tell you what your child's birth record shows. Whether that record is enough, or whether an adoption is still the right step, is a legal question for the clerk or an attorney. It is not something a form can decide for you.

If another person is a legal parent: The court will look at that parent's rights before an adoption is approved. Here is what Washington sets out:

• Consent: A child who is 14 or older must consent (RCW § 26.33.160). Who else must consent in your case depends on your facts, so ask the clerk or an attorney.
• Abandonment: Washington sets no fixed number of months. The court looks at the parent's overall conduct (RCW § 26.33.120).
• Contested or unknown-parent situations: If a parent objects, or if the biological father's identity or rights are unclear, speak with an attorney about that specific issue.

Other Washington requirements:

• Court and residency: Your petition goes to the Superior Court. Washington has no minimum residency period (RCW 26.33.030).
• Home study: It is not automatically waived (RCW 26.33.220). Washington allows courts to waive it in some stepparent cases, and the clerk can tell you how your county handles it.
• Background checks: Adoptive parents must complete criminal background checks.
• Marriage length: Washington does not set a minimum.

Timeline and cost: A stepparent adoption in Washington typically takes 3-6 months. Court filing fees run about $200-$500, and the total typically comes to under $1,000. Hiring an attorney commonly costs $3,000-$5,000 or more.