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What are your requirements for adult adoption in Georgia?
In this article, you’ll learn:
Let’s dig in.
The Georgia law for adult adoption is O.C.G.A. 19-8-21.
This Georgia law states that:
An adult can be adopted in Georgia if they give written consent to being adopted.
To file for adoption, you have to file a petition for an adult adoption in Georgia.
This needs to get filed in the county where either the petitioner or the adult lives.
This petition needs to include:
After this petition gets filed, the courts will schedule a hearing.
At this hearing, they will decide whether or not to grant the adult adoption.
If they grant it, the relationship legally becomes a parent-child relationship.
Adult adoption is an adoption between two or more adults.
Usually, it’s done to transfer inheritance rights or filiation.
Adult adoption is the process of assuming the parent-child role of an adult.
Adult adoption permanently transfers rights and responsibilities to the adoptive parent.
And the biological parents will agree to the termination of parental rights.
Meaning they give up any legal rights to their biological child.
(You don’t need permission from biological parents for adult adoption.)
If your paperwork doesn’t get accepted on the first submission, we will credit you up to $1,250 on a will. (You’ll need to update your will to include your new addition to the family anyways.)*
Yes, an adult adoption may occur once the adoptee reaches 18+ years of age.
So, you can legally adopt an adult once they become an adult.
And adults can adopt other adults.
For an adult adoption, all you need is:
Let’s talk about the adult adoption process in Georgia.
Adult adoption in Georgia is managed on a state level.
And not the federal level per O.C.G.A. 19-8-21.
Georgia has its own adoption process forms and documents for:
We can supply the correct adult adoption forms to you.
So, let’s cover how to adopt an adult in Georgia.
This is the legal process an adoptive parent needs to take to gain legal rights of an adult.
Adopting an adult in Georgia allows for legal recognition of the parent-child relationship.
When adopting an adult in Georgia, you do not need to terminate biological parental rights.
(With the adoption of a minor, you do have to.)
An adopted adult is considered the legal child of the adoptive parents.
If you are under 21 years old, then you have to notify the biological parents of the adult adoption.
They do not have to approve or sign off.
You just have to notify them of the adoption process.
We can walk you through how to properly do this so it does not interfere with your adult adoption.
To adopt someone over 18, it costs about $900.
How much it costs to adopt someone over 18 depends on:
Filing fees to adopt someone over 18 are about $200-$250.
Attorney fees are about $350 per hour in Georgia.
Here’s adoption assistance to help with the cost to adopt someone over 18.
Yes, you can adopt someone who is over 18 years old.
Adult adoption is available to anyone.
All that’s needed for adult adoption in Georgia is consent from the adoptee.
The biological parents do not need:
Yes, you can be adopted as an adult as long as you consent to the adoption.
Your biological parent does not need to terminate their parental rights.
When the adoption is finalized, a new, legal parent-child relationship gets created.
Georgia’s adoption laws for adults are very simple.
The adult you’re adopting just has to give written consent to the adult adoption.
Unlike normal Georgia adoption laws, you don’t have to terminate parental rights.
That’s because the adoptee is an adult.
The adult adoptee gets to choose who has parental rights.
There are many reasons that someone would adopt an adult.
Adult adoption is different than establishing guardianship.
Guardianship of an adult gets used when the adult needs help taking care of themselves.
Let’s look at the different types of adoption for adults in the state of Georgia.
People use adult adoption for scenarios such as:
The first type of adoption is getting reunited with biological parents.
Children sometimes get separated from their families early in life.
But when those children get older they may be able to reconnect with their families.
An adult who was adopted at an early age may want to legally go back to their family.
In this case, their parents can adopt them back.
Their adoptive parents would have to sign over their parental rights.
After this happens, the biological parents can adopt their adult child.
This allows them to regain the parental rights to their biological child.
And reinstates the legal parent-child relationship.
Another type of adoption is foster parent adoption of adults.
Some children go through the foster care system but are not legally available for adoption.
When there is a good relationship, foster parents and the foster child can grow a bond.
When these foster children become adults, the foster parents can adopt them.
After they have gotten out of the children services system.
And this adult adoption will establish a legal parent-child relationship with the foster family.
Adult adoption in Georgia for inheritance rights is more of a safety net.
You can designate someone as a beneficiary in your will or trust.
There’s always a chance that your will gets contested.
If a will gets contested, it’s likely that the judge defaults to an intestate.
Intestate means that your estate gets distributed per the intestate laws in Georgia.
Meaning that the government becomes the executor of your estate.
The state decides how to distribute your property and who to pay first.
In this event, spouses and children get the inheritance.
This is when adopting an adult for inheritance is important.
Because they would get a share of the inheritance if the courts default to intestate probate.
Let’s say that the decedent was not a biological parent.
Without the adoption of adults, the inheritance won’t go to the person you want it to.
This is why hiring a law firm that understands estate planning is also important.
And it’s important to get the proper legal advice on the adoption process.
Our Atlanta law firm includes estate planning with the adoption process.
This way, the adopted adult doesn’t lose inheritance rights.
Sometimes step-parents and step-children develop great relationships.
With step-parent adoption in Georgia, the step-parent can become the legal parent.
To do this, the biological father does not have to terminate his father’s rights in Georgia.
No consent is needed from the biological parents for adult adoption.
Another common type of Georgia adoption is relative adoption.
Disclaimer: a relative is anyone who is related by blood or marriage, including:
Often, relative adoption is preferred by the foster care system.
They want the foster child to go back to the biological family.
But, relative adoption is not only for foster care.
Let’s say the biological parents are not fit to take care of the child.
The judge would prefer that a relative adoption take place.
They want the child to remain in the family.
And not place them with a new family they are unfamiliar with.
But, for adult adoption, a relative adoption is easy.
You just need to file paperwork for:
Termination of parental rights is not necessary for adult adoption in Georgia.
If you want the best Georgia adoption attorneys to represent you, fill out the form below.
Our attorneys in Atlanta have the experience needed to ensure that your rights are protected.
This means that you don’t wrongfully lose rights when adopting.
And you will have a smooth hearing when presenting your case to the judge.
So that you won’t have any issues with your adult adoption.
This includes issues related to:
After you fill out the form below, we will set up your free consultation.
And walk you through the adult adoption process in Georgia.
Talk soon.
Conditions of the guarantee: You must fill out the information about your family correctly on the provided form the first time around. We will use this information to build your adult adoption paperwork. If it’s filled out incorrectly, the documents will not get created properly. Rejection of paperwork has to be due to the information on the Petition for Adult Adoption that corresponds to the form you fill out.
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