Stepparent Adoption Illinois $325

Press Release (ePRNews.com) - United States - Jul 07, 2021 - Considering whether to adopt your step child? It’s a great way to show that you want them as part of your family as well as the devotion you feel towards the child. The child’s self-esteem grows, as well as a feeling of bonding with you. A positive influence of a loving stepparent is amplified when the child does not have a good relationship with his absent natural parent. It is commonly known that children with two loving parents perform better in school and are healthier, mentally, emotionally, and physically.  Adopting a step child does come with legal, financial, and emotional considerations to keep in mind before making this binding decision.

By adopting your step child, you allow them to have financial benefits such as health insurance coverage, inheritance and survivor benefits. However, if the child is receiving child support payments from the biological parent, all future payments will stop once the biological parent agrees to the adoption.  In most case, that does not apply to back child support owed.  It is important to understand that your financial responsibility to the child that you adopt does not end if your marriage to his parent ends in divorce. There could be child support owed in the event of a divorce.

Stepparents are not granted the same legal rights as legally recognized parents.  A stepparent adoption assures permanent legal and financial responsibility for the child.  This is especially important if your spouse passes away or part ways. Your stepchild’s birth certificate will be revised to show you as the legal parent. I desired, the child’s name can be changed and will also be reflected on a new birth certificate. Once the adoption is granted, you will have legal right to make decisions that involve the child. This gives you the ability to make important decisions concerning your stepchild.  This includes medical care, religious, and education decisions.

Adopting your step child will make it easier for you to keep custody of your step child if your spouse passes away. A stepparent, custody of the child could be awarded to grandparents or other family members first, possibly even the other biological parent, if they can be found. By adoption, even if you and your spouse part ways, visitation and/or custody rights to the child can be made.

In Illinois, there is an efficient path to adoption, but there are some rules to qualify for a stepparent adoption. To adopt your significant other’s child, you must be married. Since adoption will terminate the rights of the child’s other parent, you must be able to validate that the child’s recognized parent is deceased, is unknown, or consents to the adoption by signing and notarizing said consent.  Also, if the child has been abandoned by his other parent, the judge can decide if terminating the absent parent’s parental rights is in the best interest of the child.

Stepparent adoptions do not have to be expensive.  For an affordable stepparent adoption Illinois $325 is all it takes to have professional adoption documents prepared specifically for personal situation.