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

Possibly yes. Vermont's abandonment period is 6 months (15A V.S.A. § 3-504), and a year without a visit is longer than that. Whether your situation meets the legal standard depends on the specific facts, so confirm the details with the Probate Court clerk in your county or an attorney.

What the 6 months means for you. The abandonment period is the main reason a stepparent adoption can sometimes move forward when the other biological parent is absent. How the court weighs things like phone calls, cards, child support or attempts at contact is a fact-specific question. If the other parent has had any contact at all, or if they might oppose the adoption, talk with an attorney about your case.

Other Vermont requirements to know about:

• Court: Stepparent adoptions are filed in the Probate Court in your county. Vermont has 14 counties.
• Residency: Vermont's residency requirement is 6 months (15A V.S.A. § 3-101(a)(1)-(2)).
• Your child's consent: A child who is 14 or older must consent (15A V.S.A. § 2-401).
• Home study: It is waived for stepparent adoptions (15A V.S.A. § 4-110(a)).
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions in Vermont typically take about 3-6 months.

What if you don't know where the other parent is? How a parent who can't be located is notified, and what happens if they show up and object, are questions for the Probate Court clerk or an attorney. The answer depends on your circumstances, and getting it right early can save you time.

Questions to ask the clerk. Since the details vary by case, it helps to ask the Probate Court clerk in your county:

• What filing fee applies to your petition?
• What does the court need to see about the other parent's absence?
• How does the court handle notice when the other parent is hard to reach?

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 arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions. The price is $349 for the first child and $99 for each additional child, and we back it with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 87 Vermont families and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.