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

 

ONTARIO STEP PARENT ADOPTION: Filing for a stepparent adoption in Ontario can be both an extremely exciting time and also a very stressful time.  Let Reliable Adoption remove the stress of the stepparent adoption process and make it a simple an exciting time for both you and your child.
 
With the experience of Reliable Adoption, we can simplify the process of filing a step parent adoption in Ontario by preparing all the legal documents that you will need to complete your stepparent adoption and guiding you through the entire process. We guarantee that your Ontario 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 do not refund for changes in your desire to continue.
 

 

Ontario Stepparent Adoption – Information you should know.

A stepparent adoption in Ontario, Canada is the most common type of adoption.  It is also the most simple type of adoption because only one parent is being substituted in the proceeding.
 
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 either the Ontario Court of Justice or 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 Ontario, 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. The child’s consent must be witnessed by an attorney from the “Office of the Children’s Lawyer.” They have offices throughout Ontario.
 
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 parent’s 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 Ontario 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 either the Ontario Court of Justice or 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 Court, the petitioner and the child must have been a bona fide resident of Ontario 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.

 

ONTARIO COURT LOCATIONS:

Court Addresses: http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/courts/Court_Addresses/

Our documents are for the entire State of Ontario. If your county court is not listed below, then we will provided the court information when we send your documents to you.

 

You must file the adoption documents in the Superior Court of justice in the region in which you are filing. Some court addresses for Toronto area are as follows:

 

Toronto Ontario Court:

311 Jarvis St.
130 Queen St. West
361 University Ave.
1911 Eglinton Ave

East 444 Yonge St., College Park -2nd Fl.
1000 Finch Ave.
West 2201 Finch Ave.
West 60 Queen St. W. Old City Hall
330 University Ave.

(416) 327-6868

 

Court filing fees.

The court filing fees for an adoption in Ontario is approximately $167. There is also a background check of about $30 and an attorney witness fee of about $75 for each consent. (shop around for a reasonable price.)

 
Step Parent Adoption in Ontario. We help families throughout Ontario, Canada complete their stepparent adoptions without the high cost of an adoption attorney. We serve families in Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, London, Markham, Vaughan, Kitchener, Windsor, Burlington, Greater Sudbury, Oshawa, Barrie, St. Catharines, Cambridge, Kingston, Guelph, Thunder Bay, Waterloo, Brantford, Pickering, Niagara Falls, Peterborough, Sault Ste. Marie, Kawartha Lakes, Sarnia, Norfolk County, North Bay, Welland, Belleville, Cornwall, Haldimand County, Timmins and all the other cities in Ontario.
 

Start your Ontario Stepparent Adoption Today!