How Does Florida Law Define a "Step Parent"?

STEP PARENT ADOPTION IN FLORIDA

A step parent adoption is considered a right decision if it is done with the child’s best interest in mind. This basically means that in cases where a step parent has played a more significant role in their step child's life than their biological parent, step parent adoption may be what is in the best interest of the child. In most instances, a step parent adoption takes place between the child’s step father and the child.

Adoptions between step mothers and their step children are not nearly as common. This, however, is all determined by the legal relationship that exists between the other parent and the child. Such a parent may be required to either make a considerable contribution to the entire adoption process or not be involved at all.

For purposes of getting a clear comprehension of what is entailed in step parent adoption, it is important to define who a step parent is. A step parent is considered as the person married to a child’s biological parent, but is not themself a biological parent. It is easy for most people to make the assumption that a step parent acquires parental rights over their step child simply because they are married to the child’s biological parent. This is not the case in an actual sense. This is because, in any family law case, the issue of custody relates to the child, not the parents. Since the child’s best interest is what the court is always after in every custody case, it is less likely to grant the step parent any parental rights over the said child unless the child’s biological parent has petitioned for parental rights.