Unifying a family through adoption can strengthen the bond between stepparents and children and help encourage their relationship. The United States has re-coined the definition of a traditional family and now exemplifies a plethora of ways a family dynamic can be created. With a large amount of divorces in recent generations, the issue of stepparent adoption continues to grow in popularity. Oftentimes when parents divorce and remarry, the stepparent and the child create a strong relationship that the stepparent and natural parent wish to legalize through adoption. Although the stepparent adoption process is fairly common, it can still be somewhat complicated and holds specific requirements that must be met in order to be successful.
Parental Rights and Consent
When considering a stepparent adoption, both the biological parent and the stepparent have serious factors to contemplate. The stepparent should be aware of the weight and implications an adoption imposes on them. A stepparent who adopts their stepchild legally steps into the role of natural parent and becomes physically and financially responsible for that child. On the other hand, the natural parent should consider the requirement of obtaining consent on behalf of the other natural parent and the termination of his or her rights. There may be exceptions to the requirement of obtaining a biological parent