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A Survey Of State Law Authorizing Stepparent Adoptions Without The Noncustodial Parent's Consent, Larry K. Laskiewicz

Akron Law Review

The increase of divorce and remarriage in American society has radically changed the concept of family. A typical family may no longer be composed of two parents and their biological off-springs living in the same household. The trend is toward a stepfamily composed of a parent, a biological child, a spouse, and the spouse's child. This paper essentially concerns the ability of a stepparent (in most cases, a stepfather), married to a custodial natural parent, to adopt a minor child from a previous marriage without the consent of the noncustodial natural parent.