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Step Parent, (now called "Partner of Parent") Adoption
 


Who can apply?

The partner, married or otherwise, of a birth parent, can apply to adopt the child.

Who or what is a "Partner"?

In this context a couple who live together in an enduring family relationship are "partners". They can be of either or the same sex, married to each other, be civil partners or unmarried. They cannot be close relatives of each other (e.g. mother, father, brother, sister, grandparent, uncle or aunt of the other).

Residence Periods

The partner who is not the birth parent has to have lived in the same household as the child for at least six months as the court will need to see that the relationship is likely to endure.

Why might such an adoption be desirable?

  • The feeling that the adopter is now the "real" parent,

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  • It will give the Birth Parent and their adopting partner Parental Responsibility. It will discharge the Parental Responsibility of the other Birth Parent.

  • It gives the adopted child the same status as the couple's own children

    • Why might a court not find such an adoption desireable?

  • The child's identity changes; he or she becomes an adopted person,

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  • The adopted child loses membership of a whole side of his or her extended family

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  • The child may lose the chance of obtaining child support, maintenance and even inheritance from the former parent

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  • The Adoption and Children Act 2002 sets out a "welfare checklist" to help the court and other professionals decide what might be in the child's interests

    • REMEMBER - you will need to persuade the court that an adoption order will promote the welfare of the child, not merely satisfy the wishes of the adults.

    		 


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