Adult Adoption

What is Adult Adoption?

In California the law permits the opportunity for two adults who are not related to one another to obtain a legal relationship with one another as parent and adult child through the process of Adult Adoption.

Adults often seek adult adoption to obtain a “legal relationship” of parent and child, when there is already a significant “unofficial” parent child relationship existing, such as in the case of a stepparent or other person that has provided a parental role in the young adult’s life. The adult adoption may facilitate some of the complex issues involved with estate planning.

In an adult adoption, both parties enter into a written adoption agreement, and a petition is filed with the court. If either the adopting person, or adoptee is married, the consent of their spouse is also required.

In an adult adoption there is no requirement for a home study, and there is no requirement for the consent of the biological parents of the adoptee. The court does make inquiry as to the reason or purpose for seeking an adult adoption, which we include in the pleadings that are submitted to the court.

Adult adoptions can be completed fairly expediently as compared to the adoption of a minor.