Please note that the following is not intended to be legal advice and should not take the place of representation by an attorney. You should contact an attorney to discuss the specifics of your situation.

Children may be adopted after the parent-child relationship has been terminated. The parent-child relationship may be terminated by voluntary relinquishment of the parental rights, or involuntarily if the Court finds, among other things, that the parent has voluntarily left the child and intends not to return, engaged in conduct which endangers the child, or fails to support the child during a one year period. If a petitioner is married, both spouses must join in the petition for adoption. If the child is to be adopted other than by a stepparent, grandparent or aunt or uncle, then a Health, Social, Educational, and Genetic History Report of the child must be prepared. In addition, the Court will Order the criminal history record of each person seeking to adopt the child and the child to be adopted must generally live with the person seeking to adopt them for a period of at least 6 months. The effect of an Order of Adoption creates a parent-child relationship between the adoptive parent and the child for all purposes, as if the child were the biological child of the parent, including giving the child the right to inherit from their adoptive parents. It is possible for the Court to grant the petition of an adult to adopt another adult.