Seattle, WA · Adoption
Adoption Attorneys in Seattle, Washington
View Ridge Law handles adoption cases for families across Seattle and the surrounding counties. If you are adopting a stepchild, a grandchild or other relative, a foster child, or an adult, our team manages the legal side from the first filing to the final decree.
13 attorneys · Serving King, Snohomish & Pierce counties
How we handle adoption cases
Working with an adoption attorney in Seattle means the petition, the consents, and the court hearing are handled correctly the first time, so the day the judge signs your decree is a celebration, not a scramble. Adoption is one of the most meaningful things the law can do for a family. It deserves more than paperwork. It deserves a family law team that treats your case with the care it carries. Every adoption at View Ridge Law starts with a Case Evaluation. You meet with one of our Client Services Directors, who reviews your situation, explains what the process looks like for your type of adoption, and shares information about our legal team. If you decide to move forward, we coordinate a meeting with an attorney and build your case plan from there. From that point, your attorney handles the legal work: preparing and filing the petition, gathering the required consents, addressing the rights of birth parents where the law requires it, coordinating any home study or post-placement report the court needs, and representing you at the finalization hearing. Washington adoptions follow a defined court process, and our job is to keep yours moving through it without avoidable delays. Because adoption often touches other family law issues, it helps that we are not an adoption-only shop. If your case involves parentage questions or an existing parenting plan, the same firm handles all of it. Nothing gets handed off to a stranger mid-case.Stepparent, kinship, foster-to-adopt, and adult adoption
Every adoption at View Ridge Law follows one of these paths. Here is what each looks like in Washington.Stepparent adoption
Stepparent adoption is the most common adoption we see. You are already raising the child. Adoption makes it legal and permanent: full parental rights, inheritance rights, and a birth certificate that reflects your family as it actually is. In Washington, the other legal parent must consent or have their parental rights addressed by the court, which is often the hardest part of the case. Courts can waive some requirements, like the full home study, when a stepparent is adopting, which usually makes these cases simpler than other adoptions. The same legal framework covers second parent adoption, where a parent’s partner adopts the child so both adults are legal parents.Relative and kinship adoption
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings step up for children every day in Washington. If a child has been living with you and the arrangement needs to become permanent, kinship adoption gives that child legal stability: your health insurance, your inheritance, and a parent who cannot be removed by a change of circumstances. We help relatives evaluate whether adoption, guardianship, or another arrangement fits the situation, then handle the consents and court filings the chosen path requires.Foster-to-adopt
Many adoptions in Washington begin inside the dependency system, and this is where View Ridge Law brings something most firms cannot. Before founding the firm, Mackenzie Sorich practiced dependency law, the area of law that governs foster care. She has worked inside the child-welfare system where these cases start. That background matters when your case involves the Department, a dependency court timeline, or the termination of a birth parent’s rights before your adoption can finalize. Foster parents deserve counsel who understands the system they have been navigating, not a lawyer learning it on their file.Adult adoption
Washington law allows one adult to adopt another. Families use adult adoption to formalize a stepparent or foster relationship after the child turns 18, to secure inheritance rights, or simply to make a lifelong parent-child bond legal. These cases are usually the most straightforward adoptions in Washington because the adult being adopted consents for themselves, and no birth parent consent is required. Straightforward does not mean automatic, though. The petition and hearing still need to be done right, and we handle both.Why Seattle families choose View Ridge Law
View Ridge Law was founded in 2014 by Mackenzie Sorich and has grown to a team of 13 attorneys serving King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties. You can meet the full team on our attorney team page.4.5★179 reviews
Rated by the families we serve
Clients have given the firm 4.5 stars across 179 Google reviews.13attorneys
A full team since 2014
Founded in 2014 by Mackenzie Sorich, the firm has grown to a team of 13 attorneys, so adoption is handled inside a full family law firm, not an adoption-only shop.3counties
King, Snohomish & Pierce Counties
For adoption specifically, the firm’s roots count. The founder’s pre-firm practice was family law and dependency law, the foster care system where many Washington adoptions begin.Recognized for our work
Honored by readers and the legal community
The firm has been recognized with Seattle Times Best in the PNW 2024 and 2025 award badges, an Expertise.com Best Divorce Lawyers in Seattle badge, and recognition on Avvo.
About Grant Denny
Grant Denny
Associate Attorney, View Ridge Law
Grant Denny helps clients through family law, estate planning, and probate matters with clear guidance and practical solutions. Before joining View Ridge Law, he represented clients in family law cases from initial consultations and negotiations through hearings and trial preparation.
Grant also served as a prosecutor with the Pierce County and Spokane County Prosecutor’s Offices, gaining courtroom experience handling hearings, legal motions, and jury trials. He earned his J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law and his B.A. from Gonzaga University.
Credentials: Gonzaga University School of Law, J.D. · Gonzaga University, B.A. · Former Pierce County and Spokane County prosecutor · Read Grant’s full bio →
Adoption questions Seattle families ask us
Do you need a lawyer to adopt in Washington state?
Washington does not require you to hire a lawyer to adopt, but adoption is a court process with consent requirements, filings, and a hearing, and mistakes can delay or derail a finalization. An adoption lawyer in Washington state makes sure consents are valid, birth parent rights are handled the way the law requires, and the decree you receive is final and unchallengeable.How long does a stepparent adoption take in Washington?
Timelines vary by county and by whether the other birth parent consents, so no honest attorney will quote you a fixed date. An uncontested stepparent adoption with a signed consent is generally among the faster adoption cases, while a case requiring termination of a parent’s rights takes longer. We will give you a realistic picture of your case at your evaluation.How much does adoption cost in Washington state?
Cost depends on the type of adoption, whether it is contested, and what the court requires in your county, so there is no single number. Stepparent, relative, and adult adoptions are typically the least expensive because they often involve fewer requirements. We explain fees clearly before you commit to anything.Can I adopt my grandchild in Washington?
Yes, grandparents can adopt their grandchildren in Washington, and kinship adoptions like these are a regular part of our practice. The court will need the parents’ consent or a legal basis to proceed without it, and we help you understand which applies to your family before anything is filed.Can you adopt an adult in Washington state?
Yes, Washington law permits adult adoption, and the person being adopted gives their own consent, so no birth parent signature is needed. Families use it to formalize stepparent and foster relationships after age 18 and to secure inheritance rights. It is usually a streamlined court process, and we handle it start to finish.Talk to a Seattle adoption attorney
If you are ready to make your family legal and permanent, start with a Case Evaluation. A Client Services Director will review your situation, walk you through the process for your type of adoption, and connect you with an attorney if you choose to move forward. Call 206-966-4020 or fill out the form to Schedule a Case Evaluation.
