You may already feel like the parent of your stepchild, especially if you have had a blended family for years. The longer you have been with your spouse, the more time and personal resources you have likely invested in the care and upbringing of your stepchild.
However, you technically don’t have any legal rights or responsibilities when it comes to your stepchild. If your spouse were to unexpectedly die, for example, any right to access with your stepchild would depend on the other parent permitting your visits. If you and your spouse divorce, you would need to take special steps if you wanted any chance of visitation or custody rights.
A stepparent adoption resolves both of those issues and makes you a legal parent for your stepchild. Do you need the consent of your partner’s ex to adopt your stepchild?
Yes, Florida requires parental consent for adoption
To move forward with a stepparent adoption, you need the permission of your spouse. You also will need the cooperation of the other parent of your stepchild. In scenarios where the other parent has died, you will not need their permission. The same is true if the state already terminated their rights.
Otherwise, you will very likely need them to voluntarily rescind their parental rights. They can do so by signing certain paperwork, thereby allowing you to move forward with the adoption.
What if they won’t cooperate?
Some parents who are completely uninvolved in the lives of their children still hope to become better, more active parents in the future. That dream might be the reason why a parent won’t cooperate with your adoption request. On the other hand, their motivation could just as easily be spite for you or the other biological parent.
Provided that you have evidence of serious misconduct or neglect, you could potentially move forward with an involuntary termination of their parental rights, but it is often easier to gain their cooperation. The promise of an end to their child support obligations could give them reason to agree. A parent who hopes the later spend time with their children again might simply want the protection of an agreement that grants them visitation privileges.
Learning more about the process of stepparent adoption will help you fulfill a parental role more effectively for your stepchild.