What is the timeline for adopting my stepchild in Kentucky?

In Kentucky, a stepparent adoption typically takes about 3-6 months from the day you file your petition with the Circuit Court to the day the adoption is finalized. An adult adoption is usually quicker, at 4-8 weeks.

How the process unfolds:

• Prepare your paperwork. You complete the petition and related forms for your county. Kentucky's package includes the Petition for Adoption, consent forms (or a motion to dispense with consent), and the spouse's consent to the adoption.
• File with the Circuit Court. You file in the Circuit Court in your county. Court filing fees generally run $150-$300, and the total cost is typically under $1,000.
• Notify the other biological parent. Kentucky allows personal service by a sheriff or process server. If the parent's location is unknown, service by publication is allowed.
• Complete the background check. Kentucky requires criminal background checks through the Kentucky State Police for adoption petitioners.
• Attend the finalization hearing. The judge reviews your case and, if everything is in order, finalizes the adoption.

What can shorten the wait:

• No residency waiting period. Kentucky residents do not have to wait before filing (KRS § 199.470). Non-residents need 12 months in the state first.
• No home study. Kentucky waives the home study for these cases (KRS § 199.473), so you aren't waiting on one.
• Consent from an older child. The child's consent age in Kentucky is 12 (KRS § 199.500), so if your stepchild is 12 or older, plan to have that consent addressed in your paperwork.

What can lengthen the wait:

• The other parent's consent. If the other biological parent agrees, you submit signed consent forms. If not, you would ask the court to dispense with consent.
• Abandonment. Kentucky has one of the shorter abandonment periods: 3 months, or 90 days of no contact, can establish grounds for proceeding (KRS § 199.502). Whether your situation meets that standard depends on your specific facts, so talk to the Circuit Court clerk or an attorney.
• Hard-to-find parents. Searching for a parent whose location is unknown, or a contested case, can add time. An attorney can advise you on those situations.
• Court scheduling. Hearing dates vary by county. The Circuit Court clerk in your county can tell you how far out hearings are being scheduled and what your court expects.

After the adoption is final, questions about birth records go through the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. Your clerk can tell you what paperwork to bring.

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 then file yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child (or one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. Your court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and they come with our 100% court acceptance guarantee. We have helped 501 Kentucky families and more than 34,000 families nationally since 2001.