www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Step-parent Adoption
If you wish to consider how you can secure your legal relationship with your partner’s child(ren) from a previous marriage or relationship there are various ways you can do this, by applying to the court for:
- a Parental Responsibility Order
- a Parental Responsibility Agreement
- a Residence Order
- Step-Parent Adoption.
Any of the first three options enable the child to retain the legal links with her/his other birth parent and wider family but give you Parental Responsibility, with regard to the day-to day decisions regarding the child.
If you wish to become the child’s legal parent, you may wish to apply for Step-parent Adoption, in which case the local authority has a duty to make an assessment of your circumstances, including:
- making checks with CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) and other agencies
- taking up three personal references from people who know you well
- checking your health history and current state of health
- preparing a detailed report for the court.
- seeking the views and consent of the child’s other birth parent and anyone else with parental responsibility
- seeking the views of the child(ren), depending on age and understanding.
If the court grants a Step-parent Adoption Order, you become the child’s full legal parent and the other birth parent loses Parental Responsibility and all legal links with the child, including any rights to maintenance and inheritance from this side of the family.
For further information about step-parent adoption and the alternatives, please contact the locality social work team for your area:
Child Disability Team West
Lowbourne House
Lowbourne
Melksham
SN12 7DX
Tel: 01225-709777
Fax: 01225-790418
Child Disability Team South
Salt Lane
Salisbury
SP1 1DU
Tel: 01722 327551
Fax: 01722 330957
Child Disability Team Kennet & North
357 Hungerdown Lane
Chippenham
SN14 0UY
Tel: 01249 444321
Fax: 01249 445959
Chippenham & Corsham Team
357 Hungerdown Lane
Chippenham
SN14 0UY
Tel: 01249 444321
Fax: 01249 445959
Wootton Bassett/Malmesbury/Calne Team
The Manor House
Lime Kiln
Wootton Bassett
SN4 7HB
Tel: 01793 853434
Fax: 01793 849103
Kennet Team
The Cedars
Browfort
Bath Road
Devizes
SN10 2AP
Tel: 01380 730055
Fax: 01380 730022
Salisbury Team
Salt Lane
Salisbury
SP1 1DU
Tel: 01722 327551
Fax: 01722 330957
Amesbury Team
1A Mills Way
Boscombe Down
Business Park
Amesbury
SP4 7RX
Tel: 01980 664980
Fax: 01980 623423
Trowbridge/Bradford/Melksham Team
East Wing
County Hall
Trowbridge
BA14 8JQ
Tel: 01225 773500
Fax: 01225 773535
Westbury/Warminster
The Beckford Centre
8 Gipsy Lane
BA12 9LR
Tel: 01985 218021
Fax: 01985 846069
