April Urban was featured in a Q&A in the November 2026 issue of Washington Family Magazine, where she discusses what families should know before starting the stepparent adoption process.
April explains how stepparent adoption gives a stepparent legal authority to make important decisions about a child’s education and healthcare. She also outlines how long the process typically takes, noting that an uncontested adoption can wrap up in as little as 90 days, while a contested case can take 180 days to a year. The hearing itself is closed to the public, and it often ends on a happy note.
“Stepparent adoptions are probably the most fulfilling things that the courts do. I hear a lot of judges after the adoption telling parties that this is a really happy occasion,” April said.
Read the full article in the magazine here.
