SOUTH DAKOTA STEPPARENT ADOPTION Professional & Guaranteed
Important information about filing an adoption in South Dakota.
ADOPTING YOUR STEP CHILD IN SOUTH DAKOTA: 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 South Dakota step parent adoptions without the high cost of an adoption attorney.
Completing a stepparent adoption in South Dakota 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 South Dakota in stepparent adoption.
We help families throughout the entire State. Our documents have consistently been praised by the Courts in South Dakota and recommended by court clerks.
We help families in every city of South Dakota, including: Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Brookings, Watertown, Mitchell, Yankton, Pierre, Huron, Vermillion, Spearfish, Brandon, Box Elder, Madison, Sturgis, Belle Fourche, Harrisburg, Tea, Dell Rapids, Hot Springs, Mobridge, and every other city in South Dakota.
Important information about filing an adoption in South Dakota.
A stepparent adoption in South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota, 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 South Dakota Courts below.
South Dakota 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.
SOUTH DAKOTA COURT LOCATIONS:
Here is the information for all of the courts in South Dakota that handle adoptions. If your region is not listed, we will include the nearest court information with your documents.
Richland County Family Court:
Minnehaha County Circuit Court: 425 North Dakota Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57102-0136 Phone: (605) 367-5900 Fax: 605-367-5916
Clay County Circuit Court: 211 W. Main Street, Vermillion, SD 57069-0377 Phone: (605) 677-6756
Hughes County Circuit Court: 104 E Capitol, Pierre, SD 57501-1238 Phone: (605) 773-3713
Pennington County Circuit Court: 315 St. Joseph Street, Rapid City, SD 57709-0230 Phone: (605) 394-2575
Brown County Circuit Court: 101 SE 1st Avenue, Aberdeen, SD 57402-1087 Phone: (605) 626-2451
Brookings County Circuit Court: 314 6th Avenue, Brookings, SD 57006-2041 Phone: (605) 688-4200
Codington County Circuit Court: 14 1st Avenue SE, Watertown, SD 57201-6054 Phone: (605) 882-5095
Davison County Circuit Court: 200 E 4th, Mitchell, SD 57301-0927 Phone: (605) 995-8105
Lawrence County Circuit Court: 78 Sherman Street, Deadwood, SD 57732-0626 Phone: (605) 578-2040
Court filing fees.
The court filing fees for an adoption in South Dakota are approximately $200.
Step Parent Adoption in South Dakota We help families throughout South Dakota complete their stepparent adoptions without the high cost of an adoption attorney. We serve families in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Brookings, Watertown, Mitchell, Yankton, Pierre, Huron, Vermillion, Spearfish, Brandon, Box Elder, Madison, Sturgis, Belle Fourche, Harrisburg, Tea, Dell Rapids, Hot Springs, Mobridge, and all the other cities in South Dakota.
