Hamburg Service Adopting a stepchildDistrict Office Hamburg-Nord

District Office Hamburg-Nord
Adopting a stepchild

Do you want to adopt your stepchild? The adoption agency will advise and support you with the next steps. You can find out more about the process here.

Detailed description

With a stepchild adoption, you adopt your partner's biological child. Adoption can make sense if, for example, there has been no contact with the separated parent for years, the other parent is deceased or unknown, or your stepchild is to be treated equally in terms of inheritance and maintenance rights.

In order to guarantee the well-being of the children, the general requirements for adoption and your suitability as an adoptive parent will also be examined in these cases.

Through adoption, your stepchild becomes your child from a legal perspective. You then have the same responsibility for the child as you would for a biological child.

All persons involved must seek advice from an adoption agency before applying for an adoption. The discussions will also address whether the child will be OK after the adoption.

You must submit the certificates of this consultation to the family court during the adoption proceedings.

Information

Important notes

Prerequisites

You as a couple are married to each other, live in a registered civil partnership or in another stable relationship. A stable relationship is defined as someone who has lived together for at least four years or has a child together and lives together as a family.
You should have already lived with the child for a reasonable amount of time so that a parent-child relationship has developed.
Both parents agree to the application. If the child is 14 years old or older, he or she must also agree.
The child must be informed about the existing step-parenting, as the family court may also speak to the child.

Otherwise, the same conditions apply as for the adoption of another person’s child.

Documents required

Copies of the birth register transcripts
Copy of marriage certificate
Copies of death certificates or divorce decrees of former spouses (optional)
Copies of birth records of legitimate, illegitimate and adopted children
an extended certificate of good conduct (BZR extract)
Health certificates
Extended registration certificate
Copies of proof of income
Photos (if possible no passport photos)

Please note

Both opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples can adopt a stepchild.

A stepchild adoption also occurs when the partner of the biological mother in a lesbian partnership - for example after artificial insemination or sperm donation - wishes to obtain legal parenthood for the child they want and applies for the adoption of the child. An exception to the obligation to provide advice exists here if the partner of the biological mother applies for the adoption and both were already married to each other at the time of the child's birth or were living in a registered civil partnership or a stable civil partnership.

Deadlines

Procedure & Fees

Procedure

The adoption agency advises all parties involved
The notarized application is submitted to the family court
The need for adoption and suitability are checked
The family court decides on the adoption

Processing time

Up to several months

Fees

Legal notes

Legal remedies

Contradiction

Action before the administrative court

Legal basis

§ 9a Adoption Placement Act (AdVermiG)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/advermig_1976/__9a.html

Address and contact information