The biological parent hasn't seen my child in over a year. Can I adopt in North Dakota?

Yes, almost certainly. North Dakota defines abandonment as no meaningful contact for 12 months (N.D.C.C. § 14-15-19). If the biological parent hasn't seen your child in over a year, that exceeds North Dakota's requirement.

This is by far the most common scenario in the adoptions we help with. Over 80% of our 34,000+ completed adoptions were done without the other parent's consent, based on abandonment just like your situation.

The process:

1. We prepare an abandonment affidavit documenting the absence

2. The biological parent is served with notice of the adoption

3. They have a period to respond (they rarely do)

4. The court terminates their parental rights and approves the adoption

You're in a strong position. When you're ready, start the questionnaire at stepparentadoption360.com/questionnaire.