Before you file a Petition for Texas stepparent adoption , you must be able to establish that you have been a resident of the state for six months prior to the date that you file. This information must be included in your filing, and proof of residency, such as a driver's license, must be presented and proved at the final hearing. If you and your spouse are both current residents of the state, then there is no required time period.

If you have minor children who have lived with your spouse in another state for more than six months, it may be to your advantage to file in that state, since its courts will have the power to decide what happens to the children. Note: Your spouse has the option to waive that jurisdiction, which must be done properly, in writing.

You should file for your stepparent adoption documents Texas in the county in which your spouse resides, or in the online adoption papers texas,or in the county that you and your spouse resided in when you separated, or in your county if your spouse does not live in Texas. You or your spouse's address must be within the county in which you file. Civilian residents of Texas who live outside the United States can file in the state if they have maintained their residency in the state.

The grounds for termination of parental rights in a stepparent adoption typically involve: abandonment; failure to support the child; imprisonment; certain kinds of abuse; and some other grounds. Each state's set of grounds is different, but they all accept (1) abandonment, and (2) lack of support. Some states allow other grounds as justification for Texas stepparent adoption

In this state, an absent parent gives implied consent to adoption or relinquishment as described here:

1. The absent parent has abandoned the prospective adoptee, including failure to provide financial and /or emotional support for six months or longer from the date that the adoption petition was filed.

2. The absent parent has left other parent with the responsibility for the adoptee, without providing support and without communicating, or otherwise sustaining a significant relationship as a parent of the adoptee, for 6 months or longer from the date that the adoption petition was filed.

3. The natural father is in non-compliance with laws that deal with the putative father.

Most states do not provide visitation rights to the parent losing parental rights, or the to grandparents associated with that parent. In some states, however, visitation agreements will be recognized for the parenting losing his or her parental rights. Usually this at the discretion of the adopting parents.

You must file your adoption documents in the District Court of the county where your adoption action is brought. Here are the addresses for courts in some of the larger counties.
If your county isn't listed, we'll include the court information when we send your documents.

Dallas County 101st District Court:

600 Commerce, Room 480, Dallas, 75202-4606 Phone: (214)653-7256 

Tarrant County 141st District Court:

401 W Belknap, Fort Worth, 76196-0224 Phone: (817) 884-1997 

Collin County 199th District Court:

210 S McDonald, Ste 534, McKinney, 75069-7602 Phone: (972) 424-1460 

Travis County 126th District Court:

1000 Guadalupe, Ste 436, Austin, 78701 Phone: (512) 854-9313 

McLennan County 170th District Court:

501 Washington Ave, Ste 303, Waco, 76701-1380 Phone: (254) 757-5045 

Houston County 349th District Court:

500 N Church St, Palestine, 75801 Phone: (903) 723-7415 

Jefferson County 136th District Court:

1001 Pearl St, Beaumont, 77701-3707 Phone: (409) 835-8481 

Bexar County 131st District Court:

100 Dolorosa St, #202, San Antonio, 78205-3028 Phone: (210) 335-2521 

Nueces County 105th District Court:

901 Leopard, Ste 802, Corpus Christi, 78401 Phone: (361) 888-0510 

Cameron County 103rd District Court:

974 E Harrison, Brownsville, 78520-7123 Phone: (956) 544-0844 

Webb County 111th District Court:

1110 Victoria, Ste 301, Laredo, 78042-1598 Phone: (956) 523-4223 

El Paso 120th District Court:

500 E San Antonio, #605, El Paso, 79901-2457 Phone: (915) 546-2103 

Lubbock County 137th District Court:

904 Broadway, 3rd Fl, Lubbock, 79408 Phone: (806) 775-1019 

Taylor County 104th District Court:

300 Oak St, Abilene, 79602-1521 Phone: (325) 674-1313 

Potter County 108th District Court:

501 S Fillmore St, Ste 4-A, Amarillo, 79101-2449 Phone: (806) 379-2355 

Wichita County 30th District Court:

900 7th St, Rm 360, Wichita Falls, 76301 Phone: (940) 766-8180 

Galveston County 10th District Court:

600 59th St, Rm 3204, Galveston, 77551 Phone: (409) 766-2230 

Midland County 142nd District Court:

200 W Wall, Ste 300, Midland, 79701-4557 Phone: (432) 688-4375

The court filing fees for an adoption in Texas is approximately $258. The required publication fee is approximately $65.

You may also have to pay "home study" fee, but that comes later in the adoption process. Your local court clerk can advise about the fee for home study and any other fees.

Many absent parents are willing to sign a consent form, in which he or she consents to terminating their parental rights, and further consents to the adoption. In these cases the process becomes easier because the court knows from the outset that everyone agrees to the stepparent adoption. But it may be that you don't know the other parent's location , or whether the other is so disinterested that he or she won't sign any documents. In a case such as this, you proceed by filing your adoption documents, then serving the absent parent via one of these methods:

1. If you don't know the absent parent's whereabouts: If you can't find the absent parent after searching diligently, then you can serve via the publication method. This procedure for this to publish a notice in a local newspaper, usually once per week for four weeks. The publication fee is typically about $85 but will vary by location. You file an Affidavit with the county clerk, who then directs that service of notice be made by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the adoption document are filed. We give you all the paperwork you need for service by publication.

2. The absent parent's whereabouts are known, but he or she won't sign: If you know other parent's location, but he or she won't sign due to disinterest, the local Sheriff's department or a private process server can assist you. This method is available even if your spouse is incarcerated.