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 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...