Clear costs. A prepared family.
Stepparent & adult adoption costs.
Plan with clarity.
Stepparent and adult adoption document preparation starts at $349, plus $99 per additional child or adult. Your court and other outside expenses are separate. Build your budget with real figures, one part at a time.
Paid to SA360. Personalized documents, filing guidance and email support.
Paid to your court. Confirm the adoption-specific fee, not the general civil filing fee.
Paid to the provider. Service, investigation, checks and records depend on your case.
Build your adoption budget.
Our price is clear. Court and outside costs depend on your case. Use official references and your clerk’s quote to fill in the rest.
Leave blank until confirmed. Enter 0 if your court has granted a waiver.
Include required service, registry, checks, investigation, copies and record costs. Blank means these expenses are not included yet.
Confirm whether your court requires separate petitions or fees for multiple adoptees. The planner uses your entered filing total; it does not multiply a guessed court fee.
Why the adoption-specific fee matters
A general family or civil filing fee can be very different from an adoption fee. Alaska’s court schedule lists an adoption filing fee of $100. California’s adult-adoption guide and 2026 court packet identify a $20 filing fee. Harris County, Texas, lists adult adoption at $350 and a minor-adoption base at $365, with additional registry and certification fees described in the schedule. These are scoped examples, not a price for every court or a complete case budget.
Fee references checked October 6, 2026. Confirm the current complete amount with the court where you will file.
Five questions to ask your court clerk
- What is the current filing total for my adoption type?
- Do we need a separate petition and fee for each adoptee?
- Are registry, certification, service or copy charges additional?
- Is an investigation or report required, and who sets its cost?
- How do I request a fee waiver, and which expenses can it cover?
Use the answers in the planner above. If the clerk cannot answer a legal question about eligibility, consent or contested rights, seek local legal advice.
Adoption cost questions, answered
How much does stepparent adoption cost?
Our document-preparation package starts at $349 for the first child, plus $99 per additional child. Court filing and other required outside expenses are separate. There is no single accurate nationwide total: the court, case type, service requirements and any investigation affect your budget.
Does adult adoption have the same service price?
Yes. SA360 document preparation starts at $349 for the first adult, plus $99 per additional adult. Adult and minor adoption can have different court fees, consent and notice requirements. Confirm the applicable procedure and complete filing total with your court.
What does the document package include?
Personalized adoption documents based on your questionnaire, filing guidance, email support and document revisions. Your case’s required documents depend on its state, adoption type and facts. Our court-acceptance guarantee applies to document acceptance; the judge decides whether to grant the adoption.
Is a home study or investigation always free?
No. A stepparent exception can affect which reports or investigations are required, but it does not establish that every case has no investigation cost. Ask your filing court what it requires for your adoption type and who performs it.
Can I ask for help paying court fees?
Ask your clerk about a fee-waiver application and its eligibility requirements. A waiver is a court decision and may not cover every outside expense. Confirm what is covered before recording a zero court cost in your budget.
When should I talk with an attorney?
A contested adoption, disputed termination of parental rights, uncertain eligibility or another complex legal question may need local legal advice. Our team prepares documents and explains filing steps; legal representation and document preparation provide different services.
Should I combine multiple adoptees into one court filing?
Do not assume that one combined petition or one fee is allowed. Court procedures vary. Our service adds $99 per additional child or adult; ask the clerk about the petitions and filing fees required for your family.
Can I get the federal adoption tax credit for adopting my spouse’s child?
The federal adoption credit excludes expenses for adopting your spouse’s child. Do not subtract an assumed credit from a stepparent-adoption budget. Review current IRS instructions and discuss your particular tax situation with a qualified tax professional.
Experience you can put to work.
Our team has helped families with adoption documents online since 2001. Bring your family’s details into a questionnaire you can save and resume, with support when you need it.
Read our document-acceptance guarantee. The court decides the adoption; court and outside fees are separate.
Prepared by the SA360 document-preparation team. Updated October 6, 2026. Related: adult adoption · the adoption process · adoption questions.