Why is adoption the most “serious” or “drastic” legal option for grandparent raising grandchildren?
Adoption is permanent. It forever changes the legal parent/child relationship. If the child’s parents are dead, or have consented, or have had their rights terminated (so they no longer have a parent-child relationship with their child), then the child may be legally available for adoption. Adoption will make the child the legal child of the adopting parent or parents for all legal purposes, just the same as if the child had been born to those parents. The court will change the child’s legal name and issue a new birth certificate. If the adopting parents divorce, they will have to pay child support for the child. The child can inherit from them. This is a total, final change of the legal relationship, forever.
Related Questions
- What is a legal relationship between a grandparent and the grandchild he or she is raising? What are the possible options for our family?
- As a grandparent will I have to pay an application fee for child support services when raising my grandchildren?
- Why is adoption the most "serious" or "drastic" legal option for grandparent raising grandchildren?
