What are Louisiana's adoption laws?

Louisiana's adoption laws are found in the Louisiana Children's Code Title XII, and for a stepparent adoption they set out a fairly clear path through your parish's District Court. Here are the main points you'll want to know.

Which court: Stepparent adoptions are filed in the District Court. Louisiana has 64 parishes, and you file in yours. The clerk's office there can confirm local filing steps and forms.

Residency: Louisiana has no minimum residency period (La. Ch.C. Art. 1180). You do need to be domiciled in Louisiana, meaning it is your permanent home.

The child's consent: Louisiana does not require the child's consent. The court asks for and considers the wishes of a child 12 or older (La. Ch.C. Art. 1253(C)).

Abandonment: The abandonment period in Louisiana is 6 months (La. Ch.C. Art. 1245). This matters if the other legal parent has not been involved. Whether your situation fits is a question of facts, so ask the District Court clerk or an attorney about your specific case.

Home study: A home study is waived for stepparent adoptions (La. Ch.C. Art. 1252(A)). That removes a step that can add time and expense in other kinds of adoption.

Termination of rights: Louisiana does not treat termination as a separate case here. If the other parent's rights are contested, talk to an attorney about that issue.

Paperwork: Louisiana's process calls for items such as:

• A Petition for Intrafamily Adoption
• A sworn statement of financial responsibility
• The spouse's consent to the adoption

Notice to a legal parent can be given by personal service by the sheriff. If a parent's location is unknown, service by publication is allowed after due diligence in trying to find them.

Timeline: A stepparent adoption of a minor typically takes 3-6 months. An adult adoption typically takes 4-8 weeks. Actual timing depends on your parish's court schedule.

Cost: Court filing fees typically run $200-$400, and the total cost is typically under $1,000. Hiring an attorney for the same adoption often runs $3,000-$5,000+. Your clerk can confirm the exact fee in your parish.

Where to start: Parents in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, Lake Charles and across the state follow this same Title XII framework. If your case is contested, if a parent can't be found, or if you have questions about how the court will treat a particular situation, the District Court clerk or a Louisiana adoption attorney can answer those for your family.

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. You then file it yourself without an attorney. Documents are ready within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions. The price is $349 for the first child (or for one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child, and we back it with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We've helped 881 Louisiana families and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.