All services
Adoption & guardianship
Step-parent, relative and adult adoptions, and guardianships for children who need a stable home.
Step-parent adoption: usually 3 to 6 months
Is this you?
You want to adopt your partner’s child
A grandchild, niece or nephew lives with you and needs legal security
You want to name a guardian for your children
The process
How it usually goes
First call
We check which process applies and what consents are needed.
Paperwork
Petitions, consents, background checks and home study where required.
Hearing
Usually short and often joyful. Bring the family.
New records
We help you update birth certificates and other records.
In more detail
Adoption and guardianship give a child legal security with the people who already care for them. The process depends on who the child is living with and whether both birth parents consent.
We guide you through each requirement and keep the process as simple and quick as the law allows.
Questions people ask
Does the other birth parent have to agree?
What is the difference between adoption and guardianship?
Fees
Hourly, with a written estimate
How much this costs depends on how much is still disputed. After the first call we send you a written estimate and a monthly cap that you approve.
Hourly rates and retainers
Your lawyer for this
Marisol Vega
Senior associate · Mediator
Related reading
Guides for this situation
All guides
No guide for this service yet.
Our guides cover each stage of a separation. Start with the one closest to where you are now.
Browse all guides
Talk it through, privately.
A free 20-minute call with a family lawyer. You choose how we contact you, and nothing you say commits you to anything.