Is adoption an appropriate option for step-parents and relatives?
During the 1970s and 1980s, it became common for step-parents to adopt the child of their spouse’s previous marriage to give legal security to the relationship between step-parent and child. In other situations, children were adopted by a natural parent’s relatives, particularly grandparents. Then, adoption was the only legal order available. The law was changed due to concerns that adoption by step-parents cut legal ties to the non-custodial parent and extended family. There were concerns that adoption by relatives distorted family relationships; for example, by grandparents legally becoming parents and mothers becoming aunts. This can be very confusing for the child. A child may now only be adopted by a natural parent’s relatives, or by a step-parent, if the court is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances. The court must be satisfied that the child’s welfare is better served by an adoption order rather than an order for guardianship and custody from the Family Court, and
