Petition For Adoption Of An Adult: Fill & Download for Free

You could have the birth mother adopt you.You probably want a consultation with an attorney prior to doing so, because this could have the effect of removing your legal relationship with other family members, but adults can and sometimes do consent to petitions for adoption.

I’ll answer in the context of Nevada.If you are an adult you need to have her file a petition for adult adoption. You would both formally consent of course. It’s a relatively straightforward process and the main effect is to change kinship and inheritance.If you are a child she has to file a petition for adoption and things get tricky. Your natural mother has to file a formal consent with the court or her parental rights would have to be terminated. The latter can be very hard to do unless she’s abandoned you and doesn’t show up to oppose the termination of parental rights.

United States of America:Short answer: it depends. Adoption is not regulated by the Federal Government of the United States, but by the individual states.For the long answer, we can turn to a pamphlet issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services:Who May Be Adopted?All States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands permit the adoption of a child. Some States also allow the adoption of an adult, under the circumstances described below.Adoption of a ChildThree States (Colorado, Indiana, and Rhode Island), American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands specify that the child to be adopted must be under age 18.Five States (Connecticut, Delaware, Montana, Texas, and Wisconsin), American Samoa, and Guam specify in statute that the child must be legally free for adoption. (A child is legally free for adoption when both birth or current legal parents have had their parental rights terminated or have consented the child’s adoption.)Six States (Arizona, Colorado, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming), American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands require that the child to be adopted must be present in the State at the time the petition is filed.Iowa requires that the child must have resided for a minimum of 180 days in the home of the prospective adoptive parents.Adoption of an AdultApproximately 29 States and the District of Columbia allow the adoption of any person, regardless of age. (Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.)Colorado, Rhode Island, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands allow parties to petition the court for the adoption of persons over age 18 but under age 21.Massachusetts and Nevada specify that the adult to be adopted must be younger than the adoptive parent.West Virginia and Wisconsin require that the adopting parent be a resident of that state to adopt an adult.Alabama permits adoption of adults only if the person to be adopted has a permanent and total physical or intellectual disability.Ohio allows adoption of an adult only when the person to be adopted has a total or permanent physical or intellectual disability or is a stepchild or foster child with whom the relationship was established while the person was a minor.Idaho, Illinois, and South Dakota require that the adopting parent be in a sustained parental relationship for a specified time, ranging from 6 months to 2 years, with the adult to be adopted.Connecticut allows a stepparent to adopt the adult child of his or her spouse.Virginia allows the adoption of an adult stepchild, niece, or nephew, as long as the adopted person resided in the home for at least 3 months prior to reaching adulthood and is at least 15 years younger than the adopting parent.The states of Arizona, California, and Delaware, aren’t in that list, but the pamphlet linked on the source page indicates that they allow adult adoption in some form or another.Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, Wyoming, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands appear to have no legal provision for adopting adults.Puerto Rico specifically bars adult adoption.Adopting an adult may be desirable for many reasons, including:Ensuring care for a disabled adopteeEnsuring care for a disabled adoptive parentInheritanceLoveAdoption is a beautiful thing.