What if the biological parent sends a gift but has no other contact — is that abandonment in Indiana?

A gift alone doesn't settle it in Indiana. Whether one gift with no other contact counts as abandonment is a question the Circuit or Superior Court in your county decides on your family's facts. The abandonment period in Indiana is 6 months, under Ind. Code § 31-19-9-8.

What the Indiana information tells us. Indiana courts can move forward without the other parent's consent when that parent has failed to maintain meaningful contact or support. The question for your family is whether a single gift, set against everything else that has or hasn't happened, fits that picture. Indiana law on exactly how a gift is weighed should be confirmed with the Circuit or Superior Court clerk in your county or with an attorney.

Facts worth writing down. Because the outcome depends on your situation, a clear, honest record helps. Gather:

• The date of the gift, what it was, and how it arrived
• Every call, visit, message or card since the 6-month period began, or a clear note that there were none
• Whether the parent has paid any support, and when
• Any attempts you made to include the parent, and how they responded
• When the parent last saw or spoke with your child

Support and contact are separate points. The court looks at both contact and support. Unpaid child support does not prevent a stepparent adoption in Indiana, though an adoption may not erase an existing support obligation. If that is part of your story, ask the court about your specific situation.

If the parent might object. If the other parent appears and contests the adoption, or if a gift is part of a pattern you're unsure how to describe, speak with an attorney about that issue. Contested cases turn on facts, and nobody can promise how a judge will see them.

If you can't find the parent. If you don't know where the other parent is, Indiana has procedures for giving notice by publication after reasonable efforts to locate them.

What to expect in court. Indiana has no minimum residency period for filing, and a final court hearing is required. These hearings are typically brief and positive. Court filing fees generally run $200-$500, and stepparent adoptions in Indiana typically take 3-6 months.

How we help. StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, including the details of the gift and the contact history, and we prepare the complete court document package for your county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The cost is $349 for the first child and $99 for each additional child, and court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions. We back every package with a 100% court acceptance guarantee, and we have helped 1207 Indiana families.