Adoption
Requirements
- The child that you wish to adopt must be under 18 (at the point when the application is made)
- The child must never have been married or in a civil partnership
- The birth parents must consent to the adoption, unless they cannot be found, are incapable of giving consent, or the child is or may be at risk if they are not adopted
- You must be over 21
- You must have a fixed and permanent residence in the UK, and must have lived in the UK for at least 1 year
- Typically, your relationship status does not matter in adoption. You can be single, married, in a civil partnership, a couple that is unmarried, or a partner of the child’s parent.
Getting parental rights and responsibilities
- When adopting a child, you take them into your home and family as if they are your own
- This means that you are required, for the adoption to be permanent and legal, to take on parental rights and responsibilities for the adopted child
- After a minimum of 10 weeks living with the adopted child, you must apply for an “adoption order” from the Family Court – Sterling Law can help you with this application to ensure it is successful.
Can I adopt a child from overseas?
- This is a very common part of adoption, and the answer is yes!
- You must be assessed as being eligible by the adoption agenc, which you must contact through your council or a voluntary adoption agency. You need to visit the child overseas and confirm in writing that you wish to adopt them, and arrange entry clearance for them
- The legal side of this process costs £1975, which is paid to the government
- For help, or if you have any questions, contact our team, who will be happy to guide you through the process!
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