IOWA STEPPARENT ADOPTION Professional & Guaranteed
Important information about filing an adoption in Iowa.
ADOPTING YOUR STEP CHILD IN IOWA: We are committed to helping unite families through stepparent adoption. We understand that some relationships leave a child with an absent parent. Our program allows families to complete their Iowa step parent adoptions without the high cost of an adoption attorney.
Completing a stepparent adoption in Iowa doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Our goal is to empower families with an affordable means to adopt their stepson or stepdaughter. We back our service with a 100% court acceptance guarantee.
Helping the entire State of Iowa in stepparent adoption.
We help families throughout the entire State. Our documents have consistently been praised by the Courts in Iowa and recommended by court clerks.
We help families in every city of Iowa, including: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Iowa City, Waterloo, Council Bluffs, Ames, West Des Moines, Dubuque, Ankeny, Urbandale, Cedar Falls, Marion, Betterdorf, Mason City, Marshalltown, Clinton, Burlington, Ottumwa, Fort Dodge, and every other city in Iowa.
Important information about filing an adoption in Iowa.
A stepparent adoption in Iowa can be a fairly simple process, and it can be a wonderful step to take to unit the family unit. When the adoption is completed, the child will have the following benefits:
- > New name is established (if desired)
- > New birth certificate
- > Two legal parents active in the child’s life
- > Ability to inherit from adoptive parent
The child will have a relationship with the adoptive parent that is the same as if the child were born to the stepparent. The child’s new birth certificate will show the child’s new name and will have the adoptive parent and the natural parent listed as the child’s mother and father.
If your matter is complex, a local adoption attorney can answer any legal questions you may have. Review the following fact check which provides a general guideline as to whether you can do your own adoption:
Who can adopt.
- > Stepmother, or
- > Stepfather
A stepparent in Iowa can file to adopt his or her step child. The stepparent must be legally married to the child’s parent.
In some states, a domestic partnership and same-sex marriages may also adopt under the step parent adoption laws.
Parental Rights
Both the biological father and the biological mother have parental rights to the child. In every adoption, the absent or consenting parents parental rights will have to be terminated.
Some of the common grounds for termination of parental rights are:
- > Abandonment of the child
- > Lack of financial support
- > Sustained lack of contact
- > Abuse or neglect of minor children
- > Putative or presumptive father is not the bio-father
Child’s consent
In Iowa, if the child is over 12 years of age, the child will be required to sign a consent to the adoption.
Where to file
You will file your step parent adoption documents in the court located in the county where you reside. If you are in the military, you have the option to file in your home-state of record.
We have listed the address for some of the Iowa Courts below.
Iowa Adoption
After you have determined that you want to complete a stepparent adoption, and have familiarized yourself with the adoption process, we can help you make the adoption a reality.
The adoption is fairly simple:
- > Complete our online questionnaire
- > Review and sign the adoption forms
- > Notice the absent parent
- > Sign all consents
- > Complete background check (if required)
- > Complete home-study (if required)
- > Attend final adoption hearing
We will let you know if a background check or home study is required. We will also let you know if your specific situation can eliminate any steps or whether a step or two will need to be added.
IOWA COURT LOCATIONS:
Here is the information for all of the courts in Iowa that handle adoptions. If your region is not listed, we will include the nearest court information with your documents.
Polk County District Court: 500 Mulberry Street Room 212, Des Moines, IA 50309 Phone: 515-286-3772
Pottawattamie County District Court: 227 S 6th Street, PO Box 476, Council Bluffs, IA 51502 Phone: 712-328-5604
Johnson County District Court:PO Box 2510, Iowa City 5224, IA -2510 Phone: 319-356-6060
Linn County District Court: Third Ave Bridge, PO Box 1468, Cedar Rapid, IA 52406 Phone: 319-398-3411
Scott County District Court: 400 West Fourth Street, Davenport, IA 52801 Phone: 563-326-8648
Woodbury County District Court: 620 Douglas, Room 101, Sioux City, IA 51101 Phone: 712-279-6611
Court filing fees.
The court filing fees for an adoption in Iowa are approximately $200.
Step Parent Adoption in Iowa We help families throughout Iowa complete their stepparent adoptions without the high cost of an adoption attorney. We serve families in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Iowa City, Waterloo, Council Bluffs, Ames, West Des Moines, Dubuque, Ankeny, Urbandale, Cedar Falls, Marion, Bettendorf, Mason City, Marshalltown, Clinton, Burlington, Ottumwa, Fort Dodge, and all the other cities in Iowa.