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Denver Office
1900 Grant Street, Suite 500
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: 303.837.0757

Aspen Office
1280 Ute Avenue, Suite 15
Aspen, Colorado 81611
Phone: 970.920.3150

Park Meadows Office
9000 E. Nichols Ave, Suite 120
Centennial, Colorado 80112
Phone: 303.837.0757

Facsimile All Locations:
303.839.9826

Denver Step Parent Adoption Lawyer





If you are the only biological parent actively involved in the care and upbringing of your child, and you remarry, you may decide to have your new spouse become a legal parent of your child. To do so, you will need to go through the stepparent adoption process with the help of a Denver divorce attorney.

In order for a stepparent adoption to be completed, the “absent” natural parent can either voluntarily surrender his or her parental rights, or a court can terminate that parent’s rights. Many uninvolved parents are willing to relinquish their parental rights and obligations in order to facilitate a stepparent adoption. Upon doing so, they will be relieved of the responsibilities of parenthood, such as providing child support and medical insurance, and they will lose any rights to be involved in the upbringing of the child. Often the financial burden of child support and arrears is so significant that an uninvolved parent welcomes a stepparent adoption. If the other parent is willing to relinquish his or her rights to the child, your Denver adoption lawyer can assist you in preparing and filing the pleadings and necessary paperwork for the stepparent adoption.

Our Family Attorney Can Assist You In Challenging Situations

Should the other parent contest the adoption and refuse to sign away his or her parental rights, a stepparent adoption may still be accomplished through a judge involuntarily terminating the uninvolved parent’s parental rights. Your lawyer can be instrumental in showing a court that the other parent has failed to pay child support and/or has not maintained contact or a proper relationship with the child. Your lawyer can also assist you in a stepparent adoption in situations where paternity has not been established.

The adopting parent must be at least 21 years of age, pass background checks, and live in the State of Colorado. Further, if your child is at least 12 years old, he or she must also consent to the adoption. When the adoption is approved, the child will be issued a new birth certificate identifying the adopting parent as his or her parent.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our experienced team of Denver divorce lawyers to discuss any issue or questions you may have.