Adopting a child of a close family member

Not always a popular order

Nothing in law prevents this, but it is often difficult to persuade a court to make an adoption order in this situation.

It can be difficult for a child to come to terms with some of the practical consequences of this sort of adoption, - for example, if a maternal grandmother adopts her grandchild, the child's birth mother becomes, in law, that child's sister.

What are the Options?

To avoid this sort of aberration the courts often prefer orders which don't change who the parent and the child are, such as:

• Residence Orders

• Special Guardianship Orders
  
  But although adoption is not common in this situation these days there may still be special circumstances that make this the right course for the court to take.

The Welfare Checklist

As with any other adoption case, the court and all professionals involved will refer to the "welfare checklist" set out in the Adoption and Children Act 2002 for guidance as to what is in the child's best interests.