Is Adult Adoption Possible in Florida?
Is it possible for one adult to adopt another adult in Florida? This is known commonly as adult adoption. While adults do not need legal guardians or legal parents in order to have rights and protections under the law, there are various reasons that parties might pursue an adoption of another adult in Florida. Not only is it possible to adopt an adult under Florida law, but it is a relatively straightforward process when you are working with an experienced adoption lawyer. Consider the following information, and reach out to a Port St. Lucie adoption attorney as soon as you are ready to begin the process.
Why Would Someone Seek an Adult Adoption?
There are many different reasons that parties might pursue an adult adoption. To be clear, under Florida’s adoption laws, an adult means “a person who is not a minor.” Why do adult adoptions tend to occur? In most situations, adult adoptions take place in order to give the adult adoptee (i.e., the person to be adopted) a strong family bond or sense of belonging in a family, or for the adoptee to provide the same bond and sense of belonging for the newly adoptive parent. The following are some of the common types of circumstances in which adult adoptions occur:
- Foster parent adopts adult child who they raised through the adult’s childhood;
- Step-parent adopts adult child who they raised;
- Friend, neighbor, guardian, or another family member who served as the adult child’s caregiver when the child was a minor.
In addition to the symbolic bond created through a legal adoption, adult adoptions can also be important to ensure that the newly adopted adult child has the legal rights and benefits, including inheritance and rights to be present in a hospital as that of a biological child, and vice versa.
Florida Laws for Adult Adoption
Under Florida Statutes Section 63.042, “any person, a minor or an adult, may be adopted.” When an adult is the adoptee, the law is the same as for a minor. The parties who can adopt the adult are an unmarried adult, a married couple jointly, or one spouse within a married couple under specific circumstances. In order for an adult adoption to occur, the following steps must take place:
- Adoption petition filed;
- Adoption consent forms signed by the adopter and the adoptee; and
- Adoption hearing before a judge, who then finalizes the adoption.
Contact a Florida Adoption Attorney in Port St. Lucie Today for Assistance
There are various reasons that a person might seek an adult adoption in Florida, from making a parental relationship legally recognized to honoring a person who has provided the type of care over the years associated with a legal parent. If you have questions about pursuing an adult adoption — either as the person to adopt an adult or the adult to become adopted — our firm can assist you. This is a more common practice in family law than you might expect, and it can be a meaningful way to create a legal bond between parties. One of the experienced Port St. Lucie adoption lawyers at Baginski Brandt & Brandt can speak with you today about adult adoption in Florida, and we can begin working with you on your case when you are ready.
Source:
leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0063/0063.html
