Blending families is a beautiful but complex process. For many stepparents, taking the step to adopt a spouse’s child is a profound expression of love and commitment. At Setzer Law Firm PLLC, we help families throughout Colleyville, Southlake, Keller, Grapevine, and nearby communities navigate the legal process of stepparent adoption with clarity, care, and confidence.
Whether your goal is to gain legal parental rights or solidify your role in your child’s life, we are here to make the process smooth and legally sound.
Stepparent adoption is a legal process that grants a stepparent full parental rights and responsibilities for their spouse’s biological. Once finalized, the stepparent becomes the child’s legal parent—entitled to make decisions about education, healthcare, and other aspects of the child’s life.
Stepparent adoption:
In Texas, a stepparent can adopt a child if:
In some cases, adoption may be contested by the other biological parent. We handle both uncontested and contested stepparent adoptions and guide families through every legal step with professionalism and compassion.
At Setzer Law Firm, we handle every stage of the stepparent adoption process, including:
We also handle related matters, such as name changes, new birth certificates, and updates to legal documents.
In most cases, yes. If the other biological parent is still legally recognized, their parental rights must be terminated voluntarily or through court action before the adoption can proceed. If they are absent, unfit, or unwilling to parent, we can guide you through the termination process.
Home studies are required.
Yes. As part of the adoption, we can request a legal name change for the child. Once the adoption is finalized, a new birth certificate can be issued showing you as the legal parent and reflecting the new name, if applicable.
In Texas, children 12 and older must provide written consent to the adoption. We will help ensure that your child understands the process and is supported every step of the way.
Setzer Law Firm PLLC is a Colleyville-based family law firm serving Tarrant and Denton counties. With over 30 years of combined experience, we handle divorce, custody, property division, alimony, paternity, grandparents’ rights, LGBTQ+ family law, and more.
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