Adoption of An Adult By A Stepparent
Out of all of the situations for adult adoption, probably the most common one involves stepparents who want to adopt a stepchild after the stepchild has turned 18 years old. The reasons for such an adoption go beyond just the emotional impact of finally having the family officially together. Along with legal benefits, there can also be legal ramifications that come with formally adopting a stepchild after they have reached adulthood. However, with the help of adult adoption attorney John J. Pearson, you can be sure the Adult Adoption Petition and Adult Adult Adoption Hearing will go smoothly.
Bringing the Family Together, at Last
One of the biggest reasons for legally adopting a California adult stepchild that has already reached adulthood (18 years old) is to finally bring the family together. In many of these cases, the stepparent and the stepchild have been in a normal parent-child relationship for years, and have developed a strong emotional bond.
However, legally adopting a minor child can take a long time and can run into complicated issues that are costly to resolve. These can put obstacles in the way of formally recognizing the relationship that is already happening in real life, and these obstacles can make the process and paperwork difficult, stressful and expensive.
Once a stepchild has reached adulthood, though, the process becomes much easier because the law recognizes that the decisions that they make are fully informed. When both the stepparent and the stepchild want a formal adoption to happen, the process becomes more streamlined and it can be done with very little stress.
Legal Benefits of an Adult Adoption
Not all of the benefits of a stepparent's adult adoption are emotional. There are also very tangible legal benefits to it, as well.
One of these legal benefits to an adult adoption between a stepparent and his or her stepchild is that it can create a next of kin relationship. This relationship can make a huge difference in a variety of circumstances, from health insurance to life insurance policies, from power of attorney to the eventual issue of inheritance and many other issues.
The Adult Adoption Process in California
While adopting a consenting adult stepchild is often easier than adopting them when they are still underage, it is not necessarily an easy thing to do. The process can be confusing and daunting to anyone who is not familiar with how the California court process works. It involves a significant amount of paperwork and a formal hearing under oath before a Superior Court adult adoption judge. Any mistakes in this process can set you back significantly, and can even put you back to square one.
California Stepparent Adult Adoption Attorney
To eliminate having any mistakes set you back, it is important to have an attorney at your side if you want to go through the legal process of adopting an adult stepchild. The benefits to having legal recognition of your parent-child relationship are significant, and the process is one that requires a level of precision and expertise that only a California adult adoption attorney can handle.
Contact the Law Office of John J. Pearson, A Professional Law Corp. if you are considering a formal adoption of an adult stepchild so you can rest assured that it is done the right way.