Davis and Schaller married on June 11 in Madison, and they filed the same day for Schaller to adopt Frances, the daughter Davis gave birth to five years ago.

“We’re very happy, but it’s bittersweet,” Davis said. “What I worry about is loving families who can’t afford to do the home study and hire an attorney.”

Stepparent adoption is one of the least expensive ways to adopt, Perreault said. But the costs, including the required home study — a social service agency evaluation of the family — can run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Kat Riley said the potential danger of her job as a Madison police detective added urgency to the adoption. If she is killed in the line of duty, substantial financial benefits mandated by state and federal law will go to both children now that the adoptions have been granted, instead of just her biological child.

Before the judge ruled in their case, the Rileys told the children that Wednesday was going to be a special day.

But the young ones don’t understand the legalities, and they already see themselves and their mothers as a real, fully formed family, Riley said.

“We look forward to years from now when we’ll be talking about it with the kids and laughing about how ridiculous this was that we were adopting our own kids,” she said.

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