What counts as abandonment for adoption purposes in Maine?

In Maine, abandonment for adoption purposes is tied to a 6-month period, and the law that addresses it is 18-C M.R.S. § 9-204; 22 M.R.S. § 4002(1-A). If the other biological parent has abandoned the child under that law, your stepparent adoption may be able to move forward without a separate step to end that parent's rights.

What the 6-month period means for you: Maine sets abandonment at 6 months, which is the number to keep in mind as you look at your own situation. Whether a particular history of calls, visits, letters or support meets the legal definition depends on your specific facts. The Probate Court clerk in your county or an attorney can tell you how it applies to your family. Any question about contact or support that falls in the gray area is worth raising with one of them before you file.

How termination fits in: In Maine, ending the other parent's rights is not a separate court case. It is handled within the same adoption proceeding, so you do not file a second petition just for that purpose.

Other Maine details that matter when abandonment is the issue:

• Court: Your adoption is filed in the Probate Court in your county. Maine has 16 counties, and the clerk there can answer questions about local procedure and the current filing fee.
• Residency: Maine has no minimum residency period under 18-C M.R.S. § 9-301, so you do not need to wait before filing.
• Child's consent: A child who is 12 or older must consent to the adoption under 18-C M.R.S. § 9-302.
• Home study: The home study is waived in a stepparent adoption under 18-C M.R.S. § 9-304.
• Timeline: Stepparent adoptions in Maine typically take about 3-6 months.

When to get individual help: Some situations can't be settled by a general answer. If the other parent is likely to contest the adoption, if you don't know where that parent is, or if you aren't sure whether the history counts as abandonment, ask the Probate Court clerk about procedure and an attorney about your legal position. An attorney can give advice on your facts, and we cannot.

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. Your court-ready documents arrive 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. We back every package with a 100% court acceptance guarantee, and we have helped 151 Maine families.