Adoptees who are eligible for adult adoption are usually 18 years of age or older. If you wish to adopt an adult and have his/her consent, there are some things you should be aware of.
What Does an Adult Adoption Mean?
By adult adoption, we mean a legal parent-adoptee relationship between two adults of legal age that includes their consent. The ward in these circumstances is called an adoptee throughout the adoption process.
According to the law, the ‘parents’ as well as the adoptee are subject to all duties of their new relationship. This means that under the eyes of the law, they both have a ‘parent/child’ relationship with each other which is legally binding. The adoptee is also allowed to take on the parents’ or parent’s surname if he/she wishes.
This also means that the parents can consider the adoptee as their next of kin if they want to.
Reasons for Adult Adoption
It is important to understand that there is a difference between adult adoption and guardianship. For example, if you become a legal guardian for an adult, it means you are responsible for his/her safety and care. This is the case if the adoptee in question cannot take care of him or herself. As a legal guardian, you are legally obliged to act in their stead when it comes to their financial and health decisions.
There are a number of reasons why anyone would wish to adopt an adult. This includes:
Life circumstances prevent early adoption or care
Certain life circumstances can prevent some step parents from adopting a stepchild when he/she is a minor. With improving circumstances and as the child grows older, those parents can legally adopt them as adults.
Establishing Next-of-Kin
As mentioned before, parents who adopt adults become their legal guardians. This bond is also used by some parents to declare the adoptees as their next-of-kin so that they would be taken care of if something happens to them.
Foster parent adoption of foster child of legal age
Oftentimes, foster care parents create a strong familial bond with the adoptees under their care especially if they raise them from childhood to adulthood (till 18 years of age or older). In such cases, it is perfectly acceptable for those parents to formally adopt the foster child or adoptee via an adult adoption.
How do you get approved for adoption? Can you adopt an adult? Can you adopt a step child without an attorney? Get answers to all of these questions and more by getting in touch with us at Rapid Adoption. We can help you with the forms and the process so that you can welcome the new addition to your family without stressing out over the paperwork. Call us by dialing 1 -877 -626 -2698.