What counts as abandonment for adoption purposes in Louisiana?

In Louisiana, abandonment for adoption purposes is tied to a 6-month period set out in La. Ch.C. Art. 1245, and it is the ground a stepparent adoption can rely on when the other biological parent has not been involved with the child.

What the law sets and what it leaves to the court: The 6-month figure is the number to know. Whether a particular situation meets the standard depends on the facts: how contact and support are viewed, and what the other parent has or hasn't done. The District Court decides that. For your specific situation, the District Court clerk in your parish or an attorney can tell you how Article 1245 would apply.

Where you file: Stepparent adoptions in Louisiana are filed in District Court. Louisiana has 64 parishes, and each clerk's office can explain local filing practices.

Other Louisiana points that matter when abandonment is involved:

• Residency: Louisiana has no minimum residency period for filing (La. Ch.C. Art. 1180).
• The child's wishes: The child's consent is not required. The court asks for and considers the wishes of a child 12 or older (La. Ch.C. Art. 1253(C)).
• Home study: It is waived (La. Ch.C. Art. 1252(A)).
• Separate termination case: Louisiana does not treat termination as a separate proceeding.
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions typically take 3-6 months.

If you don't know where the other parent is: Louisiana allows personal service by the sheriff. If the parent's location is unknown, it allows service by publication after due diligence. What counts as enough effort to find them is a question for the District Court clerk or an attorney.

What it costs: Court filing fees typically run $200-$400, and the total cost of a stepparent adoption you handle yourself is typically under $1,000. Hiring an attorney commonly costs $3,000-$5,000+.

When to get legal advice: If the other parent is likely to contest the adoption, or if there is a dispute about contact or support, ask an attorney about your specific case. A clerk can explain procedure but cannot advise you on strategy.

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. The price is $349 for the first child (or one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents are delivered within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 881 Louisiana families, and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.