What counts as abandonment for adoption purposes in Indiana?

Short answer: In Indiana, abandonment for adoption purposes centers on a parent who has gone six months without maintaining meaningful contact or support for the child, as addressed in Ind. Code § 31-19-9-8. When that is the case, the Circuit or Superior Court can proceed with a stepparent adoption without that parent's consent.

What the six-month period means for you

• Indiana's abandonment provision uses a six-month period, so the length of time the other parent has been out of the child's life matters.
• The question is whether the other parent has failed to maintain meaningful contact or support.
• Indiana does not treat a stepparent adoption as requiring a separate termination case first. The question of the other parent's rights is handled within the adoption itself.

What the law does not spell out here

Real situations are rarely clear-cut. You might wonder whether an occasional call, a birthday card, a single visit, or a few late support payments changes the picture. How a judge weighs those details depends on the facts of your case. The Circuit or Superior Court clerk in your county can tell you how to present them, and an attorney can advise on your specific situation, especially if the other parent is likely to object.

Unpaid child support is a separate issue

Back child support owed by the other parent does not prevent an adoption in Indiana. The adoption may not erase existing support obligations, so ask the court how that applies to your circumstances.

If you don't know where the other parent is

You can still move forward. Indiana has procedures for giving notice by publication when the other parent cannot be located after reasonable efforts. The details of what counts as reasonable efforts are worth confirming with the court clerk.

If the other parent contests

A parent who disagrees with the adoption can complicate the case. Because the outcome turns on specific facts, talk with an attorney if you expect a fight.

What to expect next

• Indiana has 92 counties, and each handles filings through its Circuit or Superior Court.
• Court filing fees typically run $200-$500, and the total cost is typically under $1,000. Attorney-handled adoptions often cost $3,000-$5,000+.
• Stepparent adoptions in Indiana typically take about 3-6 months.
• A final court hearing is required, and these are usually brief and positive.

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, which you file yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child, or for one adult adoptee, and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 1207 Indiana families, and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.