PENNSYLVANIA STEPPARENT ADOPTION

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PENNSYLVANIA STEPPARENT ADOPTION

Prior to filing your Petition for adoption, you must have been a bona fide resident of this state for six months prior to the filing of the petition, which must be stated in the complaint and proved at the final hearing (Drivers License, etc.). If both parties currently reside in the state, then there is no time period required.

If you have minor children living with your spouse in another state for over six months then you should consider filing in that state as that court has jurisdiction over the children. You spouse can waive that jurisdiction in writing.

You should file the adoption in the county your spouse lives in, or in the county that you both lived in when you separated, or in your county if your spouse lives out of state. You or your spouse must have a Pennsylvania address in the county of filing. Pennsylvania civilian residents living overseas may file in Pennsylvania if they have maintained their residency in Pennsylvania.

The grounds which typically justify the termination of parental rights in a stepparent adoption involve abandonment, failure to support the child, imprisonment, certain abuse, and other grounds.  The grounds for the termination of parental rights is different for each state, but all states accept the grounds of abandonment and lack of support, and some states include other grounds.

In Pennsylvania, the absent parent has given implied consent to adoption or relinquishment pursuant to Section 26-10A-9 as outlined below:

1.     The absent parent has abandoned the adoptee, failing to offer financial and /or emotional support for a period over 6 months from the filing of this petition.

2.     The absent parent has knowingly left the adoptee with the other parent without provisions for support and without communication, or otherwise maintaining a significant parental relationship with the adoptee for a period of over 6 months from the filing of this petition.

3.     The natural father failed to comply with Section 26-10C-1, which deals with the putative father.

Most states do not have any provisions for the visitation rights of the parent losing parental rights, or the grandparents associated with that parent.  There are some states who will recognize agreements for visitation by the parenting losing their parental rights, but this is typically up to the discretion of the adopting parents.

Our documents are for the entire State of Pennsylvania.

You must file the adoption documents in the Court of Common Pleas in the county that you are filing in. Some court addresses for larger counties are as follows:

Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas:

Front & Market Streets, Harrisburg, PA 17101 Phone: 717-780-6620 (Adoption Complaints are filed with the Prothonotary:) (717) 780-6520

Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas:

300 Frick Building, 436 Grant Street, Room 114, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: (412) 350-5322

Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas:

336 City Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Phone: 215 686-2547

Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas:

50 North Duke Street, P.O. Box 83480, Lancaster, PA 17608-3480 Phone: 717-299-8041

Berks County Court of Common Pleas:

633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601 Phone: 610-478-6208

Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas:

455 West Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18105-1548 Phone: 610-782-3148 (civil)

Northampton County Court of Common Pleas:

669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042 Phone: 610-559-6701

Erie County Court of Common Pleas:

140 West Sixth Street, Room 201, Erie, PA 16501-1030 Phone: 814-451-6295

Lawrence County Court of Common Pleas:

430 Court Street, New Castle, PA 16101 Phone: 724-656-1930

Bucks County Court of Common Pleas:

55 East Court Street, Doylestown, PA 18901 Phone: 215-348-6040

Delaware County Court of Common Pleas:

201 West Front Street, Media, PA 19063 Phone: 610-891-4550

Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas:

P.O. Box 311, Norristown, PA 19404 Phone: 610-278-3229

The court filing fees for a adoption in Pennsylvania is approximately $50.  The publication fee is approximately $65. 

There many also be a home study fee that is paid later in the adoption process.  Check with your local court for the fee, if any, that may be associated with the home study.

You may call the Clerk of the Court in your county to determine the exact fees in your county.

In many stepparent adoption, the absent parent may be willing to sign a consent form, which consents to the termination of their parental rights, and consents to the adoption.  If the absent parent is willing to sign a consent this will make the process a little easier because the court will know from the beginning that all parties agree to the stepparent adoption.  Many of our adoption customers don't know the whereabouts of the other parent, or the other parent has such a disinterest that he/she just won't sign any documents.  In this situation, you will file the adoption documents and then serve the absent parent by the following manner:

1.  Whereabouts of the other parent is UNKNOWN:   If you are unable to locate the absent parent after a diligent search then you can serve the parent by publication.  This means that a notice is published in a local legal publication.  Typically once a week for 4 weeks.  The publication fee for the newspaper averages around $85 but varies depending on where you live.  Upon the filing of the Affidavit the clerk shall direct that service of notice be made by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the complaint is filed.  We provide all the required documents for service by publication.

2.  The parent just won't sign, but grounds exist for the adoption: If you know the whereabouts of the other parent, but that parent won't sign due to disinterest, you can have that parent served by the Sheriff's department or a private process server.  This can be done even if the other parent is incarcerated in jail or a federal prison.

Go to our questionnaire and get started today.