A California family law attorney typically charges $3,000-$5,000+ for an uncontested stepparent adoption. Contested cases can run $10,000 or more.
By comparison, our professional document preparation service is $349 — and the results are the same. Your adoption is filed in the same Superior Court, uses the same legal process, and results in the same final adoption order.
We've helped over 1,219 families in California complete their adoptions. Our documents are customized for your specific county, and we guarantee 100% court acceptance. The only difference is that you handle the filing yourself — with our step-by-step guidance.
Stepparent adoption in California at a glance
- Court
- Superior Court
- Residency before filing
- Must be actual residents of California; no specific duration required
- Typical timeline
- 3 months
- Court filing fee
- $200-$500
- Child must consent at age
- 12
- Home study
- Usually waived for stepparents
- California families we've helped
- 1,219
Adoption document specialists · 25+ years of experience · 34,000+ families helped.
Page layout updated . Individual answers have different research histories. This is general information; court requirements and individual circumstances can differ. Document preparation service, not a law firm.
Get to know our team →