Do I have to have consent in order to do a Step Parent Adoption?

You do not have to have consent, but it is an easier process if you do have it. Consent means that the other parent agrees to give up his/her parental rights which allows the step parent to adopt the child. The biological parent would formally consent to the adoption. If there is no consent, then the only way to proceed with a step-parent adoption is through the dual process of abandonment and termination of the rights of the biological parent. Abandonment means that the biological parent has no contact and pays no child support for a minimum of one year.