I LIVE OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA, CAN I FILE AN ADULT ADOPTION CASE IN CALIFORNIA?

Yes, “petitioner(s)” may file an adult adoption case in California if at least one of the petitioners resides in the State of California. See California Family Code section 9321.5

How do I know if I am a “petitioner” in an Adult Adoption case in California?  In a California Adult Adoption case, both the proposed Adopting Parent(s) AND the proposed Adult Adoptee are called "Petitioners" in the case.  That is because the Adopting Parent(s) and Adult Adoptee are “petitioning” the court to approve the Adult Adoption Agreement that they have entered into, in writing, and filed with the court. Another way to say “petitioning the court” is to say that the petitioners are “asking” the Judge to approve the Adult Adoption Agreement that they have entered into, in writing, and filed with the court.

Here are some examples of real cases that California Adult Adoption Attorney John J. Pearson, Esq., has had approved in California Adult Adoption Courts:

Adopting Parent lives in Texas, but Adult Adoptee lives in California;

Adopting Parent(s) live in Taiwan, but Adult Adoptee lives in California;

Adopting Parent lives in California, but Adult Adoptee lives in Utah;

Adopting Parent lives in The Netherlands, but Adult Adoptee lives in California;

Adopting Parent lives in New York, but Adult Adoptee lives in California;

Adopting Parent(s) live separately in Tennessee and Utah, but Adult Adoptee lives in California;

Adopting Parent lives in California, but Adult Adoptee lives in Washington State;

Adopting Parent lives in Florida, but Adult Adoptee lives in California.

This list goes on and on, but to answer the question Can I file an Adult Adoption case in California, simply ask yourself does one of the Adopting Parent(s) OR the Adult Adoptee live in California? If the answer is YES, then you can file the case in the appropriate California Superior Court that handles adult adoption cases for that California County.