Adult Adoption

Adult adoption is the adoption of a person above the age of majority by another adult.  The major reason for an adult adoption is to formalize an existing relationship.  For example, an existing step parent/step child relationship or foster parent/foster child relationship may be formalized through an adult adoption.  By formalizing the relationship, the adoptee can inherit more easily from the adoptive parents.  Other reasons for adult adoption are to carry on a family name, to care for a parent in old age, or to protect property rights.  Still other adult adoptions are of adult persons with disabilities.  This is generally done so as to provide the disabled adoptee with the assurance of perpetual care.

There have been instances where same sex couples have tried to adopt each other so as to formalize their personal relationship.  However, since adoption is considered the formalizing of a parent/child relationship, the application for adoption will be rejected if there is an existing sexual relationship between the parties.  For this same reason, one spouse cannot adopt another spouse.

Laws pertaining to adult adoptions are different in different states.   Certain states allow adult adoptions of only disabled persons, while others insist on certain age differences between the adoptive parents and the adopted adults.  In other states, only the consent of the parties to the adoption is required.