Filing your Manitoba stepparent adoption doesn’t have to be difficult.

MANITOBA ADOPTION: We understand that filing for an adoption is an extremely important time in your life. With our experience in completing stepparent adoption documents for the residents of Manitoba, you can have the confidence to know that your adoption will be completed correctly and without problems.
 
Completing a stepparent adoption in Manitoba doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. We guarantee that your Manitoba adoption documents will be accurate and that the court clerks will accept it for filing as meeting or exceeding their standards or you get your money back – 100%.
 

Important information about filing an adoption in Manitoba.

All of the adoption documents and procedures for Manitoba adoptions are pursuant to the Manitoba Adoption Act, which addresses the legal requirements to complete a relative or stepparent adoption. Please review the information below about filing an adoption in Manitoba.

With the experience of Reliable Adoption, we can simplify the process of filing a step parent adoption in Manitoba by preparing all the legal documents that you will need to complete your stepparent adoption and guiding you through the entire process. This includes preparing all the legal adoption documents that you will need, including any required documents for the child, instructions to complete the Birth Father Registry search, and everything else required to complete the stepparent adoption.
 
We guarantee that your Manitoba stepparent adoption documents will be accurate and that the court clerks will accept them for filing as meeting or exceeding their standards, or you get your money back – 100%. We can make this guarantee because we make it our mission to make sure our documents are complete and up-to-date with the newest court regulations. If we don’t make it right, we’ll refund your money – 100%.

Manitoba Stepparent Adoption – Information you should know.

A stepparent adoption in Manitoba, Canada is the most common type of adoption. It is also the simplest type of adoption because only one parent is being substituted in the proceeding. The adoption process for any type of relative adoption is based on what is in the best interest of the child. The Court will take into consideration the relationship that the child has with their stepparent and the relationship that the child has with the absent parent.
 
A stepparent adoption, as indicated in the name, involves the adoption of a child by the spouse of the child’s parent. The definition of “spouse” which is employed by the legislation is based on the Human Rights Code and includes married partners and partners living in conjugal relationships, whether it be a same-sex relationship or an opposite sex relationship.
 
The main concern of the court in a stepparent adoption proceeding filed in the Family Court of the Superior Court of Justice is the best interest of the child. The court will take into consideration the child’s wishes, the child’s physical, mental and emotional condition as well as the child’s cultural and religious background. In most circumstances, the Court will look to the fact that the request for adoption has been filed with the Court by the child’s parent as proof that the parent believes the stepparent adoption is in the child’s best interest.
 

 

Consent of the absent parent.

One critical element to the stepparent adoption process is the consent of the parties who are required to consent. In a stepparent adoption proceeding filed in Manitoba, the court will require the written consent of any child being adopted who is over the age of seven (7), and both of the child’s biological parents, unless the court waives the requirement of the consent for an absent parent.
 
In many circumstances, one parent will have abandoned the child and his or her whereabouts are unknown. The court will dispense with the consent of the absent parent when it is in the child’s best interest to do so and the absent parent, whose consent has been sought, has received notice of the adoption and the application to dispense with that parents consent. It is fairly common that the other parent’s consent is not required when that parent has abandoned the child.
 

Grounds for the termination of parental rights.

The grounds which typically justify the termination of parental rights in a stepparent adoption involve abandonment, failure to support the child, and the best interests of the child. If the absent parent has abandoned the child, that parents parental rights will be terminated and the consent from that parent will not be required. Some of the issues the court will review to determine whether the absent parent has abandoned the child are as follows:

• The absent parent has abandoned the adoptee, failing to offer financial and/or emotional support for a substantial period of time.
• The absent parent has knowingly left the adoptee with the other parent without provisions for support and without communication, or otherwise maintaining a significant parental relationship with the child.

It is not required to terminate parental rights of a parent who is deceased.

Most of the stepparent adoptions we do for customers have one of the following circumstances:

• The absent natural parent is deceased.
• The absent parent has abandoned the child or children, by failing to maintain a meaningful relationship with the child(ren), and failing to provide financial support for the child(ren). In many situations, the absent parent’s whereabouts are unknown.
• The absent parent believes that the adoption is in the child’s best interest, and agrees to sign a consent to the adoption.

Please note that if the other parent has regular contact with the child and pays child support, you will not be able to complete a stepparent adoption in Manitoba unless the other parent is willing to sign a consent to the adoption.
 

What it means to adopt your stepchild.

When the adoption order has been issued by the court, the child will be considered to be a child in the respect as if the child had been born to the adoptive parent.
 
This means that no person who was a family member of the absent parent can ever request the court for an order of access with the child.

Where will you file your stepparent adoption documents?

The stepparent adoption application is filed in the Family Court of the Superior Court of Justice. When the stepparent adoption is finalized by the Court, your adopted child will receive a new birth certificate, showing the new parent listed on the birth certificate, and also showing the child’s new name.

Prior to filing your Application for Adoption with the Manitoba Court, the petitioner and the child must have been a bona fide resident of Manitoba prior to the Application for Adoption, which residency must be stated in the petition and proved at the final hearing.

Visitation by grandparents or the absent parent.

Once the adoption is finalized, the absent parent and the relatives of the absent will have no legal ability to gain visitation to the child.

MANITOBA COURT LOCATIONS:

Here is the information for all of the courts in Manitoba that handle adoptions. If your region is not listed, we will include the nearest court information with your documents.
 
Brandon-Court of Queens Bench: 100 – 1104 Princess Avenue, Brandon, Manitoba R7A 0P9
(204) 726-6547
 
Dauphin-Court of Queens Bench: 114 River Avenue West, Dauphin, Manitoba R7N 0J7
(204) 622-2099
 
Flin Flon-Court of Queens Bench: 104 143 Main Street, Flin Flon, Manitoba R8A 1K2
(204) 687-1670
 
Minnedosa-Court of Queens Bench: 70 3rd Avenue South West, Minnedosa, Manitoba R0J 1E0
(204) 867-4722
 
Morden-Court of Queens Bench: 301 Wardrop Street, Morden, Manitoba R6M 1X6
(204) 822-2882
 
Portage La Prarie-Court of Queens Bench: 25 Tupper Street North, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba R1N 3K1
(204) 239-3383
 
St. Boniface-Court of Queens Bench: 227 Provencher Boulevard, St. Boniface, Manitoba R2H 0G4
(204) 785-5122
 
Selkirk-Court of Queens Bench: 101 235 Eaton Avenue, Selkirk, Manitoba R1A 0W7
(204) 785-5122
 
Swan River-Court of Queens Bench: 201 4th Avenue South, Swan River, Manitoba R0L 1Z0
(250)784-2278
 
The Pas-Court of Queens Bench: 300 3rd Street East, The Pas, Manitoba R9A 1L2
(204) 627-8420
 
Thompson-Court of Queens Bench: 59 Elizabeth Road, Thompson, Manitoba R8N 1X4
(204) 677-6757
 
Virden-Court of Queens Bench: 232 Wellington Street West, Virden, Manitoba R0M 2C0
(250) 787-3231
 
Winnipeg-Court of Queens Bench: Main Floor, 408 York Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 0P9
(204) 945-0344
 

Court filing fees.

The court filing fees for an adoption in Manitoba are approximately $200.

 
Step Parent Adoption in Manitoba We help families throughout Manitoba complete their stepparent adoptions without the high cost of an adoption attorney. We serve families in Winnipeg, Brandon, Steinbach, Portage la Prairie, Thompson, Winkler, Salkirk, Dauphin, Morden, The Pas, Flin Flon, Stonewall, Altona, Swan River, Neepawa, Niverville, Beausejourm Virden, Carmen, Oakbank and all the other cities in Manitoba.
 

Start your Manitoba Stepparent Adoption Today!