What are Connecticut's adoption laws?

Connecticut's adoption laws are found in Connecticut General Statutes Title 45a, and adoptions, including stepparent adoptions, are handled by the Probate Court. Here are the main points for a stepparent adoption.

Court: Your case is filed in the Probate Court. The Probate Court clerk can tell you the filing fee and local filing steps, since fees and procedures are set locally.

Residency: Connecticut has no minimum residency period for the stepparent adoption process (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-727).

Child's consent: A child who is 12 or older has a consent role in the adoption (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-724).

Abandonment: If the other parent has abandoned the child, Connecticut does not set a fixed number of months. Abandonment depends on the parent's overall conduct (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-717). If the other parent is unknown, cannot be found, or objects, the facts of your situation matter a great deal. Talk to the Probate Court clerk or an attorney about that specific issue.

Termination of the other parent's rights: It is not a separate court case in Connecticut. It is addressed within the adoption itself.

Home study: Home studies are waived for stepparent adoptions (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-733(a)).

Timeline: A stepparent adoption of a minor typically takes about 3-6 months. An adult adoption typically takes about 4-8 weeks.

Adult adoption: Connecticut allows adult adoption by written agreement (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-734).

• The adopter must be 18 or older (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-734(a)). The person being adopted must be at least 18 and younger than the adopter.
• The adoptee cannot be the adopter's spouse, brother, sister, uncle or aunt.
• The Probate Court approves the agreement if it finds the two share a relationship similar to that of a parent and an adult child, and that the adoption is in their best interests.
• A hearing is required, and the court gives each party notice of its time and place.
• A married adopter's spouse must join in the agreement, unless the court finds sufficient reason why the spouse should not. If the adoptee is married, the adoptee's spouse must give written consent (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-735).
• For an adult stepparent adoption, one parent of the adult child may join in the agreement between their spouse and the adult child. The non-joining parent's legal relationship ends, but