Home study
Waived
Indiana waives the home study in stepparent adoptions, so no social worker visits your house.
Ind. Code § 31-19-8-5
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$349
Complete Indiana package
1,207 Indiana families helped since 2001
Make Your Indiana Family Official.Indiana stepparent & adult adoption, done for you, with court-ready documents for your Indiana court in 24-48 hours.
We prepare every form, tell you each step in plain words, and stay with your Indiana family until the judge signs your decree.
$349 complete Indiana package · documents in 24–48 hours
100% court acceptance, money-back guarantee · Unlimited revisions · No account needed to start
Residency
No minimum
Indiana sets no minimum number of months you must live in the state before you file.
Ind. Code § 31-19-2-2Child's consent
Age 14
A child who is 14 or older must consent to the adoption.
Ind. Code § 31-19-9-1Abandonment
Six months
A parent who has abandoned the child for six months may not need to consent.
Ind. Code § 31-19-9-8
100%Court acceptance
money-back guarantee
money-back guarantee
Why Indiana families choose us
We make your Indiana adoption simple, fast and affordable.
SimpleA 15-minute questionnaire. We do the rest and send your packet ready to sign and file.
Court approvedPrepared for your Indiana Circuit/Superior and backed by our 100% court acceptance guarantee.
1,207 Indiana families helpedOver 34,000 families nationwide since 2001. We have seen every situation Indiana courts see.
Save thousands$349 for the complete package, without attorney fees.
- A Indiana adoption specialist handles your case.
- We stay with you from filing to the new birth certificate.
- Unlimited revisions and real people on the phone, Mon–Fri 8am–5pm MST.
Start Your Indiana AdoptionNo account needed to start
Four stages. One Indiana court. About three to six months.
Indiana stepparent adoptions are filed in a Circuit or Superior Court under Indiana Code Title 31, Article 19, and most finish in three to six months.
Day 1 · Online or by phoneTell us about your Indiana family
Day 1 · Online or by phone
Tell us about your Indiana family
Answer simple questions about you, your spouse, your stepchild and the other parent. We turn your answers into your Indiana forms. No legal terms to decode.
Indiana Code Title 31, Article 19Within 24-48 hoursFile with your Circuit or Superior Court clerk
Within 24-48 hours
File with your Circuit or Superior Court clerk
Your court-ready documents arrive in 24-48 hours, with filing instructions for your Indiana county. Indiana sets no minimum residency period, so you can file as soon as you are ready.
Ind. Code § 31-19-2-2After filingThe other parent signs, or the court rules
After filing
The other parent signs, or the court rules
If the other parent agrees, we prepare the consent. If not, we prepare the notice and the abandonment papers the court needs. Indiana handles this inside your adoption case.
Ind. Code § 31-19-9-8Final hearingHearing, decree and new birth certificate
Final hearing
Hearing, decree and new birth certificate
When your case is complete, the judge signs your decree. We then help you request the new birth certificate from the Indiana State Department of Health Vital Records.
Indiana State Department of Health Vital RecordsDoes the other parent have to agree?
No. Courts want a two-parent home for your stepchild, and most families we help finish without the other parent's consent. In our experience, about 80% of the stepparent adoptions we have completed went forward without the other parent's consent. Indiana law gives the court clear ways to approve your adoption either way.
They agree
If the other parent is willing, the consent route is the fastest in Indiana. We prepare the consent papers so the parent only has to sign.
- We prepare the consent form for you
- The other parent signs, and we tell you how to file it
- Your case moves toward the final hearing
They won't sign, or can't be found
When the other parent will not sign or cannot be found, Indiana law allows the adoption to go ahead on grounds like these.
- A parent who has abandoned the child for six months may not need to consent
- Your Indiana forms lay out the facts the court looks at
- No other parent signature is needed once the court finds the ground met
Notice to the other parent is a routine step, and we prepare it. In Indiana, termination is not a separate case, because it is part of the same adoption case.
Ind. Code § 31-19-9-8In Indiana, your stepparent adoption can move forward without the other parent's consent when that parent has abandoned the child for six months (Ind. Code § 31-19-9-8).
One flat price. No hourly bills for your Indiana adoption.
A family in Indiana pays $349 for the complete document package, plus the filing fee your county clerk sets.
The same decree, the same court, without attorney fees.
Start for $349The same decree, the same court, without attorney fees.
What Indiana families tell us
★★★★★
Thank you so much for all your help and support during our stepparent adoption process!!! We were finally able to complete the journey this passed Thursday (April, 2014)!! In fact, the Judge even said that the paperwork was so well done and thorough that he knows a few attorneys that need to take notes!!! Thanks again!!!!
★★★★★
I would just like to say thank you, our adoption was finalized yesterday with no issues. This entire process has been easy and we couldn't have done it without your help. The price was within our budget when using a lawyer would never be. Even the judge commented on how thorough our paperwork was!
★★★★★
Sending you a quick note that the publication was finally completed and the Judge signed my adoption. You guys stayed with me through the whole process. Thanks. I didn't know what to do when the father disappeared. Thanks for helping me through the process
What arrives in 24–48 hours
Your Indiana packet, in filing order, with instructions for your clerk.
See all 6 documents
- Petition for stepparent adoption for the Indiana Circuit or Superior Court
- Consent papers for the other parent, or the notice and abandonment papers if the other parent will not sign
- Child's consent form for a child age 14 or older
- Your spouse's consent and supporting statements
- Cover sheets and filing instructions for your county clerk
- Final adoption decree and the new birth certificate request for Indiana State Department of Health Vital Records
Adopting an adult
Adopting an adult stepchild in Indiana
A person at least 18 years old can be adopted by an Indiana resident. The adult adoptee's consent must be acknowledged in open court. If you are married, your spouse joins the petition, unless you are married to the adoptee's parent and that parent's acknowledged consent is filed. You file in a court with probate jurisdiction in any Indiana county, and most adult adoptions take 4-8 weeks.
Age 18+Adoptee must be an adult
Adult's consentAcknowledged in open court
Indiana residentNo minimum time stated
4-8 weeksTypical adult adoption timeline
Three steps. That's the whole thing.
Our detailed Indiana instructions make the process simple, and we are a phone call away at every step.
1
AnswerTell us about your family in our 15-minute questionnaire. Save and come back any time.2
Review & signYour complete packet arrives in 24–48 hours with step-by-step filing instructions.3
FileFile with your clerk. We stay with you through the hearing, the decree and the new birth certificate.
Talk to a Indiana adoption specialist first.
Not sure which route fits your family? Call us. Real people, no pressure, and we will tell you what Indiana courts will want to see.
(855) 924-0450Mon–Fri 8am–5pm MST
All 92 counties
Filed in your Indiana county, handled the same way
Indiana has 92 counties, and each one has a Circuit or Superior Court that hears adoptions. Whether you live in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend or Carmel, we prepare your papers for your own county court.
IndianapolisFort WayneEvansvilleSouth BendCarmel+ every county
Adoption AI Assistant
Indiana stepparent and adult adoption
Have questions about adopting your stepchild? Our AI assistant draws on experience from over 34,000 completed adoptions to give you accurate, helpful answers. Ask anything — it's free and confidential.
Free & confidential · Not legal advice · Powered by AI
What Indiana families ask us
How do I adopt my stepchild in Indiana?
You file a petition in your county's Circuit or Superior Court under Indiana Code Title 31, Article 19. We prepare the documents in 24-48 hours, and most stepparent adoptions finish in 3-6 months. We have helped 1,207 families in Indiana.
Can I adopt my adult stepchild in Indiana?
Yes. A person at least 18 years old may be adopted by an Indiana resident (IC 31-19-2-1). The adult's consent is acknowledged in open court, and these cases often take 4-8 weeks.
How much does a stepparent adoption cost in Indiana?
Our complete package is $349, and each additional child is $99. Your county clerk sets the court filing fee, so call the clerk to confirm. Indiana waives the home study for stepparents, so that cost is $0.
What if the other parent refuses to sign or can't be found in Indiana?
You can still adopt. In our experience, about 80% of the stepparent adoptions we have completed went forward without the other parent's consent. Indiana allows this where a parent has abandoned the child for six months (Ind. Code § 31-19-9-8), and we prepare the notice.
Do I need a home study to adopt in Indiana?
No home study is required in a stepparent adoption in Indiana (Ind. Code § 31-19-8-5). Your packet tells you exactly what the court asks for, so you are not guessing.
Does my child have to agree to the adoption in Indiana?
If your stepchild is 14 or older, yes. The child's consent is required under Ind. Code § 31-19-9-1. We include the consent form in your packet.
Does child support end after a stepparent adoption in Indiana?
The other parent's duty to pay support going forward ends when the adoption is final. Past-due support is decided under Indiana law, and it does not simply disappear.
Will my stepchild get a new birth certificate in Indiana?
Yes. After the judge signs the decree, we help you request the new birth certificate from the Indiana State Department of Health Vital Records.
Go deeper on Indiana adoption
Every guide is written from Indiana law.
How do I adopt an adult in Indiana?How do I adopt my stepson or stepdaughter in Indiana?How old do you have to be to adopt in Indiana?What are the requirements for stepparent adoption in Indiana?How does termination of parental rights work in Indiana?
All Indiana adoption guides → · Compare requirements in every state →
Ready to make it official in Indiana?
Call (855) 924-0450 and let us take your Indiana stepparent adoption from first form to final decree.
Start Your Indiana Adoption · $349Prefer to talk first? (855) 924-0450, Mon–Fri 8am–5pm MST