Blended families are becoming increasingly common in America. Over the many stages of life, it is far from unusual for people who have children from a previous relationship to plan a future together.

Step parent adoption is a major milestone in uniting two families into a blended, enduring whole. Step  parent adoption is the process by which a person legally adopts the child of his or her spouse. Once this is complete, the step parent gains all the legal rights associated...

Step parent adoption is one more marker on the path to blending two families into one harmonious whole. No matter how long you've been in a relationship with your partner, it is important to pursue step parent adoption because it confers unique parental rights. This lets you...

Maintaining a positive relationship with the other bio-parent of your child is not always possible. In many cases, despite your best intentions, you might find the other bio-parent is irresponsible and unreasonable. This can raise questions as you move forward with step-parent...

It is a natural inclination of many children to desire to be adopted by their stepparent. In many cases, a stepchild would like to surprise their stepparent after going ahead on their own to get the ball rolling. While such a heartwarming gesture is a lovely idea, the laws...