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Stepparent and Grandparent Adoptions in Kansas – Reviewed by Kansas Adoption Attorney

Stepparent and Grandparent Adoptions in Kansas – Reviewed by Kansas Adoption Attorney
May 9, 2016 James Greenier

New families are created every day in nontraditional ways, and the Kansas adoption process helps to facilitate that ability. As the modern family dynamic and composite continues to evolve, we see more and more children adopted by their stepparents and grandparents. Kansas, like many other states, offers a variety of forms of adoption including international, domestic, private, public, closed, open and kinship or stepparent. Kinship adoption allows for a child to be adopted by a member of their family, whether an immediate or more distant relative. Stepparent adoption on the other hand than allows a stepparent who is married to the child’s biological parent to adopt their stepchild. Either process can be relatively straightforward if you educate yourself properly and prepare yourself according to the type of adoption that suits your needs.

How to Adopt a Stepchild in Kansas

A stepparent adoption is fairly common in Kansas and can be simple to achieve. This type of scenario commonly occurs when a couple divorces and one parent remarries a spouse that wishes to adopt his or her stepchild. The other biological parent may not be fit to parent, may be absent or may have died, providing the ability for the stepparent to step into the role of the other biological parent. Adopting a stepchild grants the former stepparent full legal capacity as if he or she were the natural parent. The primary requirement to successfully adopt a stepchild is to obtain the consent of the other biological parent. Consent must be acquired because they are simultaneously terminating their parental rights in order to give them to the stepparent who wishes to adopt.

How to Adopt a Grandchild in Kansas

The process of adopting your grandchild, or kinship adoption, is similar to that of a stepparent adoption. Grandparent adoption is also very common and is rather simple if all necessary parties consent. Consent from both of the child’s natural parents, or a parent who is still living is required to successfully adopt. If consent cannot be obtained from one parent, a grandparent can also show that that parent is absent, unfit or unwilling to maintain their parental rights and exemplify why to the court. Regardless of the situation and the need, an experienced Kansas Adoption Lawyer can help you bring your family together. The laws in each state may vary as it pertains to adoption requirements, so it is important to be adequately prepared.

Contact Kansas Adoption Attorney Tom McDowell to Answer Your Adoption Questions Today

The stepparent or grandparent adoption process can be relatively simple if the necessary consent and requirements are met. Regardless of the circumstance, our firm’s goal is to support families in any way possible. If obtaining the required parental consent has presented challenges, Kansas Adoption Attorney Tom McDowell can help. Call attorney Tom McDowell today at (316) 633-4322 to have your adoption questions answered according to the laws in Kansas in order to successfully grow your family through adoption.