Mission Viejo Adult Adoption Services

Many people wait until they reach the age of 18 to be adopted by their step-parents or other adult(s).  The process of adopting an adult is much simpler than the process of adopting a minor child.  The only consent that is necessary in an adult adoption is the consent of the adult child, the consent of the adopting parent, and the consent of the adopting parent’s spouse.  Adults want to be adopted so they can have a legal right to inherit from their adoptive parents or for a change in immigration status.

At Laguna Legal, the cost for our Adult Adoption service is $1,500 plus $500 for court filings. 

Once the petition is filed with the court, all parties will be required to attend a hearing before a judge.  The process takes approximately  4-6 months to complete.  After the adult adoption is completed, the final step is the issuance of an updated birth certificate.

Adoption isn’t just for children. Actually, adult adoption (adopting a person aged 18 or over) is quite common. When you adopt an adult it creates a parent-child relationship, and legally terminates the parental relationship of the parent who is being displaced.

An adult adoption is when someone adopts a person who is over 18 and not related to them. The person adopting must be at least 10 years older than the adult they are adopting.

Once a child turns 18, the consent of their biological parent or parents is no longer required for an adoption and, by proceeding with an adult adoption, they can complete the process quickly and without any court ordered investigation. Adult adoption is a fast and effective.

In California, adult adoption is a legal procedure in which an older adult adopts a younger adult to create a legal parent-child relationship. Older adults may be inspired to pursue adult adoption for many reasons. For example, some people use adult adoption to help deal with complicated estate planning issues. Others may solidify a parent-child relationship in a stepparent situation or establish legal rights for perpetual care for a disabled adult.

• Inheritance. This is the most common reason for adult adoption in California. Once an adult adopts another adult, they create a parent-child relationship that will be legally recognized. This new relationship allows for the adopted person to inherit from the adoptive parent(s).
• Formalizing a parent-child relationship. When a previous stepparent-stepchild, foster parent-foster child, or informal parent-child relationship existed, the adult parties may want to formalize the relationship through adoption.
• Perpetual Care. If the person to be adopted is of diminished capacity or abilities, adoption may provide a means of assuring him/her of lifetime care under family insurance, as a legal family member, or through inheritance.

• There is no requirement for consents of the natural parent or parents of the adult person being adopted
• A Social Services investigation is not required.
• The person being adopted may choose to change his or her name through the adoption proceeding. They may also choose to keep his or her existing name.
• The person being adopted may choose to change their birth certificate to show the adopting parent’s name.
• Spousal consent is required if a party is married.
• The adult adoption can be filed in California if one or more of the parties reside in California. This means that the person being adopted can live in another state if the person adopting resides in California.

A person may not adopt more than one unrelated adult within one year of the person’s adoption of an unrelated adult, unless:

• the proposed adoptee (the person being adopted) is a biological sibling of a person previously adopted, or
• the proposed adoptee is physically disabled.

In addition, a person may not adopt an unrelated adult within one year of an adoption of another person by the prospective adoptive parent’s spouse unless the proposed adoptee is a biological sibling of a person previously adopted.