My teenager wants to be adopted — how do we handle their consent in Louisiana?

In Louisiana, your teenager does not have to give formal legal consent to be adopted, but the court asks for and considers the wishes of a child who is 12 or older. So your teen's voice matters, even though it works differently from the signed consent that some states require (La. Ch.C. Art. 1253(C)).

What this means for your family:

• There is no consent age in Louisiana. The law does not make your teen's agreement a condition of the adoption.
• Once a child is 12 or older, the District Court asks for their wishes and takes them into account.
• A teen who wants this adoption, and can say so, is part of the process rather than a bystander.

How to prepare your teenager:

• Talk openly about what adoption means: a legal parent-child relationship with your spouse, and what it does and doesn't change day to day.
• Let your teen know the court may want to hear their wishes, and that they can answer honestly in their own words.
• Make sure they know it is fine to ask questions or to have mixed feelings. Teens often feel loyalty to a birth parent while still wanting a stepparent's role made official.
• Invite them to take part in the practical side, such as choosing how to mark the day once the adoption is final.

Details to confirm with the court: How the District Court in your parish collects a teen's wishes, whether in writing, in person at a hearing, or both, can vary. The same goes for any questions about changing your teen's name. The District Court clerk in your parish can tell you exactly what to expect. If your situation involves a disagreement, such as the other birth parent objecting or a teen who is unsure, speak with the clerk or a Louisiana attorney about that specific issue.

The rest of the Louisiana process:

• Court: Stepparent adoptions are filed in the District Court.
• Residency: Louisiana has no specific residency duration requirement. You must be domiciled in the state, meaning it is your permanent home (La. Ch.C. Art. 1180).
• Home study: It is waived for stepparent adoptions (La. Ch.C. Art. 1252(A)).
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions typically take 3-6 months.
• Cost: Court filing fees run $200-$400, and the typical total is under $1,000, compared with $3,000-$5,000+ when hiring an attorney.
• Birth certificate: After the adoption is final, the Louisiana Office of Vital Records handles the updated record. Ask the clerk what paperwork they will need from you.

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. Court-ready documents are delivered within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and you file them yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child and $99 for each additional child, and we offer a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 881 Louisiana families, and 34,000+ families nationally since 2001. Your teenager is welcome to sit beside you while you answer the questions, which can be a good way to start the conversation about what this adoption means to them.