Step Parent Adoption

Your Family Is Already Real. This Makes It Official.

Step-parent adoption is the legal process by which a stepparent becomes a child’s legal parent, with all the rights and responsibilities that carries.

Step-Parent Adoption in Tennessee

For this to happen, the biological parent’s parental rights must be either voluntarily terminated (with their consent) or involuntarily terminated by the court.

When the Biological Parent Consents

The process is relatively straightforward. The biological parent signs a relinquishment, the adoption petition is filed, and the court approves the adoption at a final hearing. I handle all filings, appearances, and documentation.

When the Biological Parent Doesn’t Consent, or Isn’t Involved

If the biological parent has abandoned the child, no contact or support for the statutory period under Tennessee law, their rights can be terminated involuntarily as part of the adoption process. These cases require more preparation and a clear evidentiary record.

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What You Need to Document

For consent-based adoption, documentation is relatively straightforward: the relinquishment signed by the biological parent, birth certificates, your marriage certificate, and court approval at the final hearing. I handle all filings and appearances.

For abandonment-based adoption, the evidentiary record is what determines whether the case is viable. Tennessee defines abandonment with specificity, willful failure to visit or support the child for four consecutive months within the year immediately preceding the filing. “Willful” is a legal standard, not just a factual one. If the biological parent can show they were prevented from visiting or paying, the abandonment argument weakens. The record has to hold up to that challenge.

What to be documenting:

• Last contact: dates of texts, calls, visits, and when they stopped
• Child support history: what was ordered, what was paid, what was not
• Any court orders addressing the biological parent’s rights or obligations
• Communications, or the absence of them, over the statutory period

If you have some of this and not all of it, bring what you have. I’ll evaluate whether the record is sufficient to proceed and tell you honestly what it shows.

Flat-Fee Pricing

Uncontested step-parent adoption is handled at a flat fee or retainer, starting at $2,500. This is a baseline, your final fee depends on the specifics of your case. Contested matters involving termination of parental rights are handled on a retainer basis, starting at $5,000. I’ll tell you which applies to your situation in your consultation.

A couple of things on cost: court filing fees are separate from my fee, the court sets those and they vary by county, so I’ll give you a realistic picture for yours. And if paying up front is tough, we offer payment plans through Affirm (subject to credit approval). Either way, call the office with questions and we’ll walk you through it.