Stepparents Adoption in Los Angeles, California In many stepfamilies, the non-custodial parent is no longer involved in the child’s life and adoption can be a beautiful way for a stepparent to commit to the child and provide them with the stability and security of knowing they will be loved and cared for for a lifetime.  In Los Angeles, stepparent adoption is a very straight-forward legal process by which the adoptive stepparent becomes legally responsible for the stepchild they adopt. The stepparent gains all parental rights and responsibilities regarding the stepchild, responsibilitie ..read more

Stepparent Adoption in CA Doesn't Have to Cost a Fortune Stepparent adoption should be affordable. Stepparent adoption is such a special thing: the adoptive parent is legally committing to his or her stepchild, much in the same way that husbands and wives commit to one another. A stepparent adoption creates all of the legal rights and responsibilities of a natural parent-child relationship and is often a way of formalizing an existing parent-child relationship. Many people, though, fear that adoption will be time-consuming and costly, and may open a Pandora’s Box with the absent parent.  ..read more

Stepparent Adoption Without the Consent of the Biological Father Stepparent adoptions are the most popular form of adoption in the United States. This article looks at the scenario of a remarried birth mother whose husband wishes to adopt her child, his stepchild. The birth mother's ex-spouse and father of the child does not consent to the adoption. While this article uses a biological father whose consent cannot be obtained, the same law applies to either birth parent.  Legal Process: Adoption Request To adopt a stepchild, certain processes must be followed. A stepparent first needs t ..read more

Can Adults be Adopted? When one thinks of adoption, the usual process of an adult adopting a child or an infant comes to mind. The question of “Can adults be adopted?” is likely only to arise in more specific circumstances. The concept of an adult adopting another adult is certainly less common but is a growing area of legal practice. It makes the most conceptual sense to think of adult adoption in the same way as child adoption, with the parties being an adopting parent or parents and an adopted child. In this case, however, the child is an adult (“adoptee”). The terminology and conception ..read more

Temporary Guardianship in California Guardianship is a legal relationship that is established when a court appoints an adult as a minor child’s guardian. A guardian assumes the rights and responsibilities of a child’s care for the duration of their guardianship. A guardianship can be permanent, until the child turns 18 years old, or temporary. Temporary guardianship is usually awarded in emergency situations or for specific purposes. Temporary guardianship leaves open the possibility of a child’s parents regaining care of the child when they are in a position to do so.  Temporary Guardi ..read more

Stepparents Adoption in San Diego, California Adopting a stepchild is a legal process with a special result. Stepparent adoption is the most common form of adoption in California. It is the legal arrangement by which the adoptive stepparent becomes legally responsible for the stepchild they adopt. The stepparent gains all parental rights and responsibilities regarding the stepchild, responsibilities that the stepparent now shares with their spouse.  The process of adopting a stepchild is similar throughout California but San Diego has some specific requirements that need to be understoo ..read more

Stepparent Adoption in California Stepparent adoption is the most common form of adoption in California. California recognizes the right of a stepparent to adopt the biological child of his or her spouse. This awards the stepparent all the legal rights and responsibilities of being that child’s parent, which they are now able to share with their spouse. The process of adoption results in the termination of the child’s other biological or noncustodial parent’s rights. Adoption formalizes the unique parent–child bond many children share with their stepparents and affirms a stepparent's love and ..read more

Adoption of Adults in California When one thinks of adoption, it is the situation of an adult parent adopting a child that typically comes to mind. However, once someone reaches adulthood, the option to be adopted remains open. This is for a variety of reasons, including legally recognizing and formalizing parent–child relationships. The process of adult adoption results in the same outcome as child adoption; however, the process is much less involved and emphasizes the parties' ability to consent to the adoption.  In the State of California, an individual is classified as an adult for ..read more

Guardianship to Adoption in California   What Are Some Reasons To Turn My Guardianship Into An Adoption? Converting your guardianship to an adoption in California is a relatively straight-forward legal process.  There may be several reasons to turn your guardianship into an adoption.  First, even though a legal guardianship gives full legal custody to the guardian, there are some restrictions, such as obtaining the court’s permission to move out of state and notifying the parents of any moves within the state.  Guardians may also worry that the parents or another family ..read more

Pass The Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2019 Their family, their friends, their community is here. Their citizenship should be, too. Tell Congress to close the loophole and pass the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2019 before it expires! Through no fault of their own, some people who were adopted internationally by U.S. citizen parents still lack U.S. citizenship today. As a result, these individuals have had to endure numerous problems including difficulty attending college, accessing banking services, or starting their careers. Without their rightful citizenship, they are unable to vote or access c ..read more