Stepparent adoptions can be complex proceedings. Courts generally try to preserve the biological parent-child relationship. However, when this is not in the best interest of the child, stepparent adoptions are allowed. Each stepparent adoption has two parts. The first involves an effort to “terminate” the rights of one of the biological parent and the adoption
When most people picture adoption, they imagine new parents meeting and getting to know kids for the first time. In reality, however, many adults are strongly bonded to the children in their lives long before they undergo the adoption process. Making such relationships official can provide a greater sense of stability while also granting a variety of legal rights and responsibilities.
Continue Reading A Basic Guide to Stepparent Adoptions in Minnesota
As an adoptive parent, you could make a positive difference in the life of a child who desperately needs your love and care. Options abound; you can adopt domestically or internationally through an agency. You can adopt your new spouse’s child or get involved with Minnesota’s foster program. No matter which avenue you pursue, you’ll need to abide by local legislation. Not sure where to start? We offer a first look at the Minnesota adoption process below:
One of the biggest reasons second marriages end in divorce is conflict between step-parents and children from the previous marriage. If you want your blended family to succeed, foster a positive relationship between the kids and the step-parent. Consider implementing the following tips and ideas:
1. Create a culture of respect. The family unit can’t
Adopting stepchildren is an important step in converting a blended family into a cohesive unit where both parents carry equal weight with the children, but it involves much more than following the appropriate court procedures. Each Minnesota stepparent adoption lawyer at our firm firmly believes that all family members need to go through significant emotional preparation so they already live and act like a typical family before they make the adoption official in court.
Continue Reading Homework for The Entire Family Before a Stepparent Adoption
Marrying a person with children creates a stepparent relationship that, over time, seems no different than a biological relationship. When both biological parents are alive and taking an active role in the upbringing of their children, MN law prevents stepparents from adopting the children.
Continue Reading Five Reasons Why Stepparents Should Consider Adoption
Each Minnesota stepparent adoption attorney at our firm sees a number of different types of relative adoption cases, but perhaps the most common type is adoption by a stepparent. Particularly from an emotional point of view, this makes sense. It brings a full level of unity to families by removing perceived relationship barriers between stepparents and the children born to their spouses. Of course, when second marriages create families with children from both spouses, these adoptions can also equalize the relationship between all of the children.
Continue Reading Minnesota Children Can Have Only Two Legal Parents Under the Law
Once the honeymoon period is over, newly-married spouses generally go into an adjustment period as they blend the habits and needs of two individuals into a single working unit. Parents entering into second marriages may also have new children whom they know well, even if they have not lived together yet.
Continue Reading MN Stepparent Adoptions Do Not Fully Eliminate the Need for a Study
As a proud step-parent, you care dearly for your spouse’s children, and your relationship with them is likely rich, enduring and full of love. Whether you recently married into the family, or you’ve been functioning as a family unit for over a decade, you’d like to explore the possibility of legally adopting your stepchildren. Before
Step-parent adoption, in Minnesota, involves four key steps: (1) termination of parental rights; (2) a petition for adoption; (3) background checks by court services; and (4) a final hearing. The first step in the process of step-parent adoption, a termination of parental rights, is the most challenging aspects of these cases. The very nature of a step-parent adoption presumes that a child’s biological parent (typically, but not necessarily, the father) has been denied the ongoing right to a parent/child relationship. Termination of parental rights …
Continue Reading An Overview of Step-Parent Adoption in Minnesota