Stiefkindadoption eines Kindes in Deutschland, Inlandadoption Begleitung

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.

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.

• 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)

• 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.

• 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

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.

• Stepchild adoption: Adoption of the partner’s biological child.
• Useful if there is no contact with the separated parent, if the other parent has died or is unknown, or if the stepchild is to be treated equally in terms of inheritance and maintenance rights.
• Examination of the general requirements and suitability of the adoptive parent in order to guarantee the child's well-being.
• Through adoption, the stepchild is given legal equality with the biological child.
• Assuming full responsibility for the stepchild, as for a biological child.
• Mandatory counseling for all persons involved by an adoption agency.
• Counseling sessions also focus on the child’s well-being after adoption.
• Submission of the counseling certificates in the adoption procedure to the family court is required.