Whether a child joins your family as an infant, older child or teenager, the legal adoption process helps to ensure your parent-child relationship is recognized. But what if you develop a meaningful, parent-child relationship with an adult? Can you adopt an adult in Georgia?
Through adult adoption, families can protect their important relationships, secure certain legal rights, and enjoy the sense of permanence and finality that adoption provides. Here, learn how to adopt an adult in Georgia with Claiborne | Fox | Bradley | Goldman .
What is adult adoption?
Adult adoption is just that — the adoption of one adult by another. We commonly see these situations arise when an adoption was not finalized while the child was a minor, but the adoptive family and adult still want to legalize their parent-child relationship.
Often, the adult adoption process is a way to legally document a deep, longstanding parent-child relationship that already exists; for example, a stepparent may adopt an adult stepchild whose other biological parent’s rights were never terminated, or foster parents may want to adopt a former foster child who aged out of the system while in their care.
For these and many other types of families, adult adoption is a fairly simple process that provides both parties with multiple benefits, including:
- Inheritance rights for the adopted person
- Rights to access medical records and visit one another in the hospital
- Social security benefits
However, the most important benefits of adult adoption are often emotional — for many families, the adoption process is an important symbol of their commitment and love for one another.
How can I adopt an adult?
Adult adoption in Georgia is available to anyone, as long as the adult being adopted consents to the process. When the adoption is finalized, a new, legal parent-child relationship is created.
An adoption attorney is important in every adult adoption in Georgia. Whether you are the adult to be adopted or the potential adoptive parent, the attorneys at Claiborne | Fox | Bradley | Goldman can provide all of the services you need to complete your adult adoption, including:
- Advising all parties throughout the adoption process
- Obtaining written consents from the adoptee
- Filing an adoption petition with the court
- Finalizing the adoption in court
Adopting an adult you love is easier than you think. Because adult adoption does not involve a home study or termination of parental rights, it tends to be a relatively simple process compared to other types of adoption.
Whether you are interested in adult adoption in Atlanta, Savannah, or anywhere else in Georgia, the attorneys at Claiborne | Fox | Bradley | Goldman can help your family gain the legal recognition you need and deserve.
When you are ready to legally establish your parent-child relationship, please contact us for more information about adult adoption in Georgia.
