by Chelsie M. Elliott | Aug 10, 2026 | Adoptions, Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Family Law, Family Planning
Providing proper notice to a biological parent is one of the most important procedural requirements in a Washington adoption proceeding involving a minor child. Service errors can create significant delays and may expose an adoption decree to future challenges.... 
by Chelsie M. Elliott | Apr 11, 2026 | Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Child Custody, Committed Intimate Relationship, Divorce in Washington, Family Law, Legal Separation, Non-Marital Relationships, Parenting Plan, Relocation
Your current or ex-partner/co-parent took your child to another city, state, or country without your knowledge or permission, now what? It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: your child has gone missing. According to Child Find of America, approximately 2,300 children... 
by Chelsie M. Elliott | Jun 12, 2025 | Adoptions, Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Family Law, Family Planning
(Originally published January 19, 2017. Updated June 12, 2025.) Blended Families and Stepparent Adoptions It is very common in today’s world for people to be living in a blended family. Stepparents tend to get a bad rap in movies or TV shows (just look at any version... 
by Chelsie M. Elliott | Dec 19, 2024 | Adoptions, Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Family Law, Family Planning
Second Parent Adoption in Washington Overview If you are in a same-sex relationship where one parent carries the child, you may qualify for a Second Parent Adoption. Most commonly, families like this involve a same sex couple who obtained donated sperm. Common sense... 
by Chelsie M. Elliott | Jul 11, 2024 | Adoptions, Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Family Law, Minor Guardianship
Overview of Legal Options for Long-Term Care of a Child If you have custody/are taking care of a child and there is no biological parent involved (and no state involvement), a question commonly asked is what you can do long term to care for the child. Typically, at... 
by Chelsie M. Elliott | Jan 10, 2024 | Adoptions, Blogs By Chelsie M. Elliott, Family Law, Family Planning
I’ve done a few other blog posts about adoptions (see “Adoption through Foster Care,” “Types of Agreed Adoption,” and “The Basics: Agreed Stepparent Adoption (Washington state),” but those processes involve minors, not adults. The process is a bit different and a bit...